What You Need To Know
- Studies show Americans may not be as politically divided as it seems
- The spread of misinformation on social media has made it hard to know what news to trust
- Young Americans worry about the state of our country, but still have hope for the future
By night, the American Political Theory class at East Kentwood High School looks like a typical group of high school seniors.
By day, they’re a team of seasoned political experts.
When we met them, the students were just days away from a trip to Washington, D.C., where they would present their political arguments on the biggest stage for high school civics.
The competition is called “We the People.” It’s one of several programs designed by the Center for Civic Education — a group dedicated to teaching students about the United States government, encouraging civic engagement and fostering critical thinking about U.S. politics.
“We work with coaches, and we get to, really dissect what American political theory is,” explained team member Kerim Suleman.
“It's just about learning and trying to get better and trying to understand the way that our government works.”
For Kerim and his family, it’s not just an abstract theory
“I never missed a vote,” said Kerim’s father, Mohammed Suleman. “I never miss[ed] since I came here.”
He came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1984 from Ethiopia, where there was no right to vote.
“We take it here for granted,” said Mohammed.
He made sure his children understood the importance of that right — even taking them with him to the polls every year.
“Even if they have to miss a class, a couple of hours, first two hours or whatever of class time, I believe it’s very important.”
That lesson is inspiring Kerim’s career plans.
“I think public policy is what I want to do, and I think being an elected official is something that I could achieve in representing my district,” Kerim said.
At 18, he’s already involved in local government — attending county meetings and interning with his state representative. He sees government as a vehicle for change
“I do have a lot of faith and trust for the future,” he said.
But that optimism isn’t always shared by his generation.
Kelly Siegel-Stechler is a senior researcher at Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement — or CIRCLE. She says her research shows that many young people aren’t happy with the current state of our government.
“Many of them are concerned that the country is headed in the wrong direction,” said Stechler.
In fact, studies show American trust in institutions is at an all-time low across demographics.
In a Pew Research survey taken in April 2024, only 22% of Americans said they trust the federal government.
Noah Avalos, another member of the East Kentwood team, understands where that cynicism comes from. He says he’s felt it too.
“Before this program, I didn't really keep up with politics that much,” Noah said. “I thought it was a lost cause. I was like, I don’t want to waste my time with politics because it’s all corrupt.”
Today, he still sees systemic issues that need to be addressed. He cites concerns about gerrymandering and campaign finance. It used to be those issues just gnawed at him. But his attitude changed after the civics class.
“I'm a lot more aware of problems that are happening,” Noah said. “But I'm also a lot more aware of how to fix them.”
The team’s teacher and coach, Justin Robbins, sees the change in real time among his students.
“There's some power in knowing that the way it is, isn't how it has to be,” said Robbins.
We the People’s curriculum dives deep into the foundational texts that the U.S. was built upon. The goal, to teaching students to think for themselves about how those principles apply today.
But programs like this aren’t standard nationwide
The latest data shows only seven states require a full year of high school civics. 13 states have no civics requirement at all.
But for the teams preparing for the National Finals, the subject is front and center as they head to the nation’s capital to compete in mock congressional hearings.
“It's not political debate, it's a congressional hearing model. You're going to go and impress people with your depth of knowledge,” explained Robbins.
After two days of rigorous competition, the students felt confident about their performance.
“I feel like we did an amazing job. So we're feeling good about it.” said Kerim.
“I feel like we got to say a lot of the things we wanted to say,” Noah said. “We got asked a lot of interesting questions”
The team placed 20th in the nation — a strong showing, though not the top ten they’d hoped for.
For Robbins, it’s motivation. He has high hopes, not only for the students in the program, but for their generation as a whole.
“I would challenge, like, the way people kind of throw up their arms and go, oh, well, it's just going to be messed up because the next generation isn't ready, doesn't care.”
While surveys suggest young people today have less faith in our government and institutions, experts say this generation is far from apathetic
"Young people have voted at historic rates in the last couple of election cycles. Especially in 2018 and 2020, we see youth voting at an all-time high,” Stechler cited.
“And young people tend to be really engaged in other ways, especially when it comes to things like activism.”
Instead of pledging loyalty to a candidate or political party, you people’s votes tend to be driven by specific issues.
“They're really invested in and show up and care about particular issues that matter to them,” Stechler explained.
In fact, Gen Z has often demonstrated that while they may not trust those in power, they still believe in the core principles the country was built upon — the power of the people.
“Look at Federalist 49. A government is only legitimate because of the people,” Noah cited. “They're the only legitimate fountain of power. And I think that we need to take that back.”
“I genuinely believe that we can make America a greater place,” said Kerim.
“What we're doing with these kids and their generation is it's the right thing to be doing and replicating it is the challenge,” Robbins said. “But when you can replicate it, it has a ripple effect.”
For Kerim, this experience has inspired trust not only in the government, but in his own generation.
“Once you teach the youth and you tell them what's right and what's wrong, then you don't have to worry about what the adults believe, because there's a new generation of young people that's going to come up, and that will make the world a better place.”