We the People…
It’s a blunt statement that encapsulates the extraordinary liberty and freedom of our great nation. It empowers our people with certain unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We the people—it’s such a simple declaration, yet its words form the foundations on which this resilient nation was built.
Nevertheless, when it comes to government, as Marvel-esque as it sounds, with great power comes great responsibility. As high school students, we are the future of this country: we will decide our nation’s fate, and we will be held accountable for the advancement of our free society.
“Your biggest responsibility as adults will be to make decisions for our society. If you are not well informed or well educated enough about the issues, you will not be able to make intelligent decisions for the nation,” says AP US Government teacher Mrs. Denise Dupas.
To test the political knowledge of students and gauge how well our education has prepared us to contribute to government, we asked students specific questions about different government officials. The results were surprising, to say the least: many students were under the impression that Arnold Schwarzenegger was still the Governor of California. Obviously, this is an issue; without a proper understanding of current government, how can we make intelligent decisions for our society?
Despite the shortcomings at the polls, it is worthwhile to judge the complexity of the study. Although a majority of students at Del Norte don’t know current governmental officials, we still immerse ourselves in the social issues that plague our nation, and we have a grasp of the political ideologies currently battling in America.
Still, we have a ways to go. We the people have great power; however, we the people must learn to use this power for the betterment of our nation.