Connecting Kids and Lawmakers
In This Article
Print-Friendly VersionStudents are getting involved in American democracy, and legislators are helping them.
By Jan Goehring and Stephanie Walton
February 2007
The younger generation typically skips Election Day. Their interest in politics and government is dismal. But this past election, 2 million more young people voted than in the 2002 midterm election, a 24 percent increase.
What’s going on? Programs inspiring students to get involved with the legislative process and appreciate American democracy may be working.
A Wyoming high school student served as a legislative aid, a Utah teen got involved in a precinct caucus and others help craft legislation. Young people’s voices are being heard through legislative youth advisory councils that are popping up in states across the country.
America’s Legislators Back to School Program, sponsored by NCSL, is having an impact. Each year some 1,500 legislators all across the country bring civics to life by talking with students about what it’s like to be a legislator and how our system of democracy works. In many cases the lesson continues beyond the classroom, as inspired young people get involved in the legislative process.
“We need to reach young people. They are very skeptical of politics in general and the legislative process,” says Wyoming Senator John Schiffer who regularly visits classrooms through the Back to School Program. “You never know what’s going to result from a classroom visit,” he says. Last year, Brianna Straub, a junior at Kaycee High School told Schiffer she was motivated to get more involved by his visit to her school and her government class. Straub served as the senator’s legislative aid this past year and calls the experience “an eye opener.” She says she knew the logistics of the process, but not how it really works.
After a classroom visit from Utah Representative Sheryl Allen, Bountiful High School student A.J. Jones attended his precinct caucus and was elected a county delegate. He worked on a couple campaigns. Allen tells students about the caucus process and stresses that they “can have a voice.”
Jones is passionate about citizen participation. “People don’t value the power of their vote. The worst thing you can do is not vote. If people have no say, it’s not a democracy anymore,” he says.
Crafting Legislation
Last September, Louisiana Senator Gerald Theunissen visited an 8th grade classroom at Hathaway High School where he participated in a mock debate with the students and listened to their ideas and suggestions on a number of issues. He was so impressed with their enthusiasm that he challenged the class to be his “partner” and help develop legislation of importance to young people. He stressed that their ideas do count and are important to lawmakers, but they must take the initiative to let their voices be heard.
Rising to the senator’s challenge, the students will help craft a bill to establish the Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council. The proposed council will examine and advise the legislature on issues such as education, school violence, substance abuse, youth employment, and ways to motivate young people to actively participate in their community and government.
The bill will be modeled loosely on legislation recently passed in New Hampshire. Senate staff will work with the class on the details of the bill, to be introduced this session. Students will testify before the Senate committee hearing the proposed bill.
“With this class, I wanted to find a way to encourage that enthusiasm and interest beyond my visit to the classroom. We’re taking the ‘back to school’ effort to the next level,” Theunissen says.
Youth Councils Grow
Washington has a legislative youth advisory council because of the persistence of one young person. “I’ve always been interested in politics,” says Alex Jonlin, “and I wrote letters but my legislators didn’t listen to me because I was so young.” When he was 11, he began researching how other governments provided opportunities for young people to express opinions, and learned that Maine and New Mexico have legislative youth advisory councils. Senator Ken Jacobsen sponsored Washington’s legislation in 2005. He and Representative Dave Upthegrove have been strong supporters of the council. “If we want government that is accountable, people need to know their rights and responsibilities,” Upthegrove says. The youth council is a hands-on way for young people to learn how to participate in government.”
Maine Senator Elizabeth Mitchell, current co-chair of her state’s council formed in 2002, believes “a youth advisory council can be very meaningful if it’s done right. We make sure council members represent all Maine youth by hosting regional forums to get the viewpoints of their peers.”
Seventeen-year-old Meghan Brewer, the current youth co-chair, says the council can help change adult attitudes regarding the value of listening to young people, but “we have to be stubborn about it.”
Maine’s council includes 16 young people representing high schools and colleges; and four legislators—two each from the House and Senate. The speaker and the Senate president make the appointments. The Maine council is unique because it has the authority to introduce legislation. In 2006, the council introduced and got passed legislation that clarified the guidelines for appointing youth members, taking into account geographic diversity and requiring that at least two members represent nontraditional education programs.
“It’s critical to have good staff support to keep the legislators focused on the youth council,” Mitchell emphasizes. “Without dedicated staff at the legislature, we wouldn’t be able to make this work.”
The New Hampshire legislature formed a legislative youth advisory council last year. “We didn’t have young people at the table, talking about issues that affect them, like stu dent testing, graduated driver’s licenses, and underage drinking laws” says Senator Bob Odell, who sponsored the legislation. “We needed a process to involve them and get feedback from their peers.”
The Alliance for Civic Engagement will donate staff time to the New Hampshire council, and has secured Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding to cover initial funding. Young people are being recruited to serve on the council this session.
New Mexico’s Youth Alliance is slightly different. It acts as an advisory group to the governor and Children’s Cabinet, as well as working with legislators, according to Senator Cynthia Nava, who co-sponsored the legislation that created it. “The idea behind the Youth Alliance was to create a core group of young people to reach consensus on policy issues and give advice and input to the legislature,” she says. “We also wanted to help young people realize their own lifelong leadership potential, and develop a commitment to service in their communities—that is even more important than providing input to state policymakers.”
The alliance is staffed and funded through a public/private partnership with the New Mexico Forum for Youth in Community. Membership mirrors the legislature, with up to one young person allowed to participate from each legislative district. Youth members co-apply with an adult partner who provides mentoring, transportation to meetings, connections to other community resources and other assistance. Unlike Maine, Washington and New Hampshire, legislators do not serve on the committee.
Getting Results
The councils have made a difference. Senator Nava says that New Mexico’s Youth Alliance has provided input on issues ranging from truancy, to early education and teen pregnancy. Meghan Brewer of Maine says the legislature passed several bills, including one to strengthen the rights of siblings in foster care to visit one another, and another standardizing permission forms for youth in state custody to participate in school field trips and other extracurricular activities.
“I have had the opportunity to create new connections with people in my community, and I’ve learned a lot,” Brewer says. Other young members echo her sentiment. “I’ve learned to work with different kinds of people, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with adults on a more level playing field,” says 17-year-old Kate Berry, co-chair of Washington’s youth council. “It’s an amazing opportunity for kids to get involved even if they can’t vote.”
Jan Goehring runs the America’s Legislators Back to School Program for NCSL’s Trust for Representative Democracy. Stephanie Walton is an NCSL expert in policies dealing with young people.