Join a Political Campaign

We humans have a bit of a dark history when it comes to sharing power. Take a quick glance at history and you’ll see that nearly all people who have ever lived have had to deal with some king or overlord who held power over them, took their property if they felt like it, and could change the rules whenever they wanted. Not fun.

Today, in certain countries we are lucky enough to have a democracy. It’s far from perfect – there is injustice and inequity in every way that power is shared – but there is one amazing thing: we get to vote, we get to campaign, we get to help make our laws and government. Of all the times in history, of all the countries in the world, YOU get to be in the time and place where there’s no evil king over you. Even before you’re old enough to vote, you have real political power.

That’s because political campaigns need all the help they can get. When someone is running for office, or setting up a campaign to get a new law passed or tear down an old one, they need your help. Young people can make a huge difference in campaigns. When they get organized they get campaigns on the news, make people aware of issues, and create real change.

Is there a leader or a change you would be willing to campaign for? To use your power for? If so, read on.

Getting Started:

Find Your Cause. Who or what will you champion? Is there a political leader you really like, or really don’t like? Is there an issue that feels important to you, like protecting the environment, or lowering the voting age? See if one comes to mind. If it doesn’t, figure out when the next election is coming up in your area (your parents or guardians could help you find this information), and see who is running for office. Check out their campaign pages. Does one of them seem like a better leader to you, or have ideas that you like the most?
Contact the Campaign. Once you’ve chosen a place to start — whether someone running for office, or a campaign around an issue — find the website for the campaign. Look for contact information, or a sign-up for volunteers. Email them or fill in the web form to say that you’d like to volunteer to help. If it’s a local campaign, like for a city supervisor or school board member, you might be able to call the candidate (or ask your parents or guardians for help with this) and ask them how you can help. You might offer to help raise money, get the word out by distributing information, bumper stickers or buttons, or joining a youth advisory committee around issues that affect young people.
Get started! It may take a few tries, but sooner or later you will find a campaign that needs your help, and then you get to join in and help make change happen. Remember that democracy is a messy process, and the campaign may have ups and downs, but that is part of the adventure of it.
Other Options: There are LOTS of other ways to get involved. Consider joining your student government at shcool, either running for office or helping someone you like run and win. You could also join a debate club, Model United Nations or Model Congress, or Junior State Club. If your school doesn’t have one of those, there may be clubs for your town or city, or you might be able to get one started at your school

Joining one of these groups or a campaign will give you first-hand experience with the democratic process, teaching you how to be an active citizen who can make things happen, and likely making new friends along the way.