The above title is a quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin who responded to the query of a curious woman as he left the Constitutional Convention in 1787. She asked, "Well doctor, what have we got -- a republic or a monarchy?" Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it." As we approach next week's presidential election, I am encouraged by the interest that my students are showing in our national politics. It seems to be much higher than in past election years, both among those students who will be able to vote in this election as well as among those who won't be able to vote until 2016. Many have come in having watched the debates and discussed the issues with their families and they genuinely have questions that they want answered. One of the most important components of keeping this republic that the Founders have left in our care is to have a large group of active, informed citizens who exercise their right to vote. With today's technology it is easier than ever to locate information on the issues and research the positions of the candidates so you can make an informed decision about which ones will best represent you and your beliefs and values at the local, state, and federal levels. As such, I would like you to follow the links below to discover where you fall on the political spectrum, what positions you hold on some of the important issues of the day, and which candidates have positions that most closely align with your own. In addition, I would like to hear your thoughts on the usefulness of such sites (or lack thereof) and your ideas on how we can increase voter turnout and develop a more informed and active citizenry. This is one of the most essential functions of the social studies in education. What more could we be doing to achieve this goal? What other social forces might we enlist or is this always something that will be determined by the individual?
Links:
- Take the world's smallest political quiz
- Take the test and see where you fall on the political compass
- Find out where the candidates stand on the issues and take the 2012 Presidential Vote Match Quiz
- See ALL of the Presidential candidates and their positions
- See what's on the Vermont ballot in 2012
Updated for 2016:
- Take the world's smallest political quiz
- Take the test and see where you fall on the political compass
- Find out where the candidates stand on the issues and take the 2016 Presidential Vote Match Quiz
- See ALL of the 2016 Presidential candidates
- See what's on the Vermont ballot in 2016
