Kentucky Civics for Kids
Welcome to the Kentucky Civics for Kids page! In this section of the website, you can find out all you need to know about civics and how to get involved in the political process!
First, learn some key terms in the Civics Glossary.
After that, you can learn about Voting and how to Get Involved in your school and local communities.
When you think you're ready, visit the Test Your Civics page to see how well you've learned the material.
Good luck!
Don't forget to scroll down to learn basic information about Civics and Voting before you begin!
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Why care about Civics? |
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• Only 55% of Americans can correctly identify the three branches of government (ABA Civics Education Poll, 2005)
• Less than 50% of Americans between ages 15-26 think that communicating with elected officials, volunteering, and donating money to help others are qualities of good citizenship (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2003)
• Fewer than 45% of 18-25 year olds voted in the last Presidential election (Government Election Statistics)
• Although there have been improvements since the 1998 study, a 2006 study by National Center for Education statistics shows that only 24% of 4th graders, 22% of 8th graders, and 27% of 12th graders reach a proficient level of civic education (2006 NAEP Civics assessment)
• "More 18-24 year olds will vote for the next "American Idol" than the next American President"
-Youth are the lowest voting cohort
-Youth often do not know how to register or where to vote
-Youth, new to voting, are not comfortable or aware of the
actual process of voting (OneVote)
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Why Vote? |
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Many students are constantly asking "Why should I vote?". When asked why they don't vote, they cite reasons such as feeling ignored by politicians, feeling unimportant in the voting process, or being uninformed. According to the 2005 American Community Survey there are approximately 26 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 24. That's close to 10% of the entire national population. In 1998 less than 20% of eligible voters ages 18-24 voted.
Educating yourself about the candidates and issues is your personal responsibility. Look at it this way, if you care about healthcare, welfare or social security; if you care about foreign policy, international trade, or overseas military involvement; if you care about hate crimes, terrorism, or individual rights; if you care about environmental protection, education and jobs then you owe it to yourself, your community and your country to educate yourself and vote.
You may not be 18 yet, but if your 18th birthday is before the general election on November 4th, then you are eligible to vote in both the primary and general elections.
Visit this site for more information on voting, elections, and Kentucky Government.
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