American Political Ideology and the Importance of Voting in the United States

Deanna Kurtz, American History, South Mecklenburg High School

Curriculum Unit (pdf)


Voting in the United States is seen as rite of passage for many citizens. The simple task is seen as an act of civic duty as it is a change for people to make a mark on their society. As a Civics teacher, one of the key ideas I want to plant into students’ minds is the importance of being an active citizen within their society. One of the first questions I ask of my students is whether or not they plan on voting in the future. Many times, early in the year, they all respond with “No” or “Not unless it’s a presidential election!” Our government was founded on the beliefs of John Locke in that the government should be reflective of the will of the people, and a truly democratic society depends on the participation of its citizens.
My goal is for students to understand that they have the ability to be more participatory within their society and one of the first actions they can take is to research and become knowledgeable of social and political issues that plague their communities. Students can use this knowledge to push for change within their governments to ensure their government is reflective of the will of the people. By the end of this unit, students will have a greater understanding of their responsibility to be informed and active citizens to bring about change. They will build skills to create an opinion based off of fact, while identifying biases of their own and the presentation of platforms of candidates. They will be able to see they have the abilities to promote change through contacting their representatives and participating in elections for all causes and issues.