Justice O’Connor Encourages Youth Election Participation

Asks American Teachers to Engage Students in Politics

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor asked American teachers to get students involved in the election process yesterday by participating in the National Student/Parent Mock Election on October 30.

In a video message posted to a number of Internet channels such as YouTube, SchoolTube and TeacherTube the retired jurist noted how young Americans are participating in the current election cycle in numbers three to four times greater than ever before, but at the same time, she lamented the younger generation’s lack of understanding regarding their political system.

O’Connor cited the last National Assessment of Educational Progress in which only five percent of twelfth-graders were able to describe the checks and balances of government such as Congress’ power to override a presidential veto or the division of power between federal government and state governments.

These ill-equipped youngsters are however becoming more active in politics than ever before through the use of email, text messaging, blogs and social networks that have helped shape the current political process.  The methods are all faster, more efficient and capable of reaching wider audiences, however one has to wonder how good a thing that is if 95 percent of these young people don’t understand the nature of government at all. 

Thus, the second part of the message - teach our children now about politics through the Student/Parent Mock Election (NSPME).

NSPME is the nation’s oldest and largest voter education project in which 50 million young, but not-quite, voters have cast ballots and learned about the election process since the project’s inception in 1980.  The effort has widespread support across a variety of political, social and business interests including the National PTA, the National Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation, Google, USA Today, the Pearson Foundation and many others.

O’Connor asked teachers of all subject areas to get students involved in our democracy. 

“Our teachers are really the gatekeepers of our democracy. It is our teachers who, in part, we must thank for the surge of youth interest and involvement in political affairs. And it is our teachers whom we now have to ask to take advantage of this momentum, and use this landmark time in American history to reach out and to equip the next generation with the tools they need to make serious choices about the future of our democracy,” O’Connor says in the video.

NSPME president Gloria Kirshner responded to the Supreme Court Justice’s message by saying, “The Justice’s video message for teachers will be a tremendous tool for educating the voters of tomorrow, and we hope they will all go to www.nationalmockelection.org and register to vote on October 30.”

One of the more striking parts of the message was how O’Connor acknowledged the uniqueness of this election in American history.  It’s the first since 1952 in which no incumbent President or Vice-President is on either political ticket.  It is the first in history with an African-American as the nominee for a major political party and only the second time a woman has been a major party’s nominee.

This is truly an American election.

One can only hope the voting irregularities we’re already seeing in the early voting stages don’t make the entire process a mock election.  There is some reason to be concerned about that.

I personally participated in a mock election in junior high school in 19(cough, mumble, mumble), and it made a big difference in my own interest in politics.  I was a proud supporter of Jefferson then and will be to the day I die.

Justice O’Connor and NSPME are to be commended for their service to the country and democracies everywhere.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981 as a nominee of President Ronald Reagan.  She retired from the court in 2005, and has since served the Chancellor of the College of William and Mary and also as a member of the board of trustees for the National Constitution Center in my hometown of Philadelphia.  A great American by anyone’s standard.