NEW: UPDATED for the 2020 presidential election!
Your students may not all be Catholic, but they all have a role to play in promoting the common good in private and public life!
During election season, and especially during presidential elections, the nation focuses on voting for presidential candidates as a key way to participate in promoting the common good. And perhaps in this election more than in any in recent history, citizens are wrestling with voting as a moral choice. What is voting? Are we taking an affirmative action, or merely expressing a preference? Is voting a right we can choose to exercise, or is it a moral obligation? And how can we understand what is at stake in each race, and thereby vote with a well-formed conscience?
Because of the significance and universal relevance of this topic, we have prepared several activities for you this month. A presidential election is a teachable moment that only comes along every four years! Therefore, we recommend making the most of the opportunity and teaching them all.
Your students will learn about:
- Church teaching on where our rights come from
- The Declaration of Independence and the principles of the U.S. Constitution
- The different powers given to local, state, and national governments
- The guidance the Church offers on voting with a well-formed conscience
- How they can evaluate candidates in light of their stated positions on key issues
- The many ways young people can promote the common good and participate in public life—now and in the future—in addition to voting.
