Ask the average high school student to name four presidential candidates.  Unfair?  Maybe, but in a field of 22 candidates, should a student be able to name four?

I think so.

Many high school students don’t appear to be interested in the 2016  Presidential Election, but they can and should be.

The President will have a vast effect on our lives for at least four years. Since 1900 only five presidents have lost reelection, meaning that whoever we elect in 2016 will most likely be our president for eight years.

That means that high school students will most likely be getting their first jobs, going to college, signing up for the Selective Service and buying their first homes under the president elected in 2016. Those reasons means teens need to care.

When teens hear about significant and often controversial political figures such as Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and talk about voting, a Constitutional right that 75% of high school students can’t yet capitalize on, teenagers think their opinion makes no difference, so why care at all. Many adults–from teachers to local political leaders–think that even though teens can’t vote they should care.

“Every decision that is made by politicians, whether it be on the national level or the local level are going to affect you, and what the future of this country is like,” said Myrna Whitworth, the Chairwoman of the Frederick County Democrats.       

What aspects of teen life does a president affect?

“For most of [high school students], whoever we elect will be President when they graduate, so the policies they carry out are going to definitely impact their college. It’s going to impact if they choose to go into careers–what types of careers they can have–so definitely as far as the economy [the election] is definitely going to affect [high school students],” said social studies teacher Michele Richardson.

Local political leaders, such as JoeyLynn Hough Chairwoman of the Frederick County Republican Central Committee, think youth should be aware of the President’s influence on their day-to-day safety.

“The number one issue is national security. If you are graduating in 2016, you were barely old enough to remember 9/11 when 3000 American people were killed in the [World] Trade Center attacks,” said Hough.

The President influences  national security, the economy and education in countless ways, which are all reasons that we should formulate our own opinions on how we believe these issues should be handled.

Many teens already have their own opinions on key issues. In a Lancer Media Poll,  32% said that the key issue in the 2016 presidential election is  immigration; 20% said that the economy is the biggest issue; 8% said that politics is turning into a series of publicity stunts and money grabs; 20% said a variety of other issues; while 20% said they had no opinion.

Almost all of the teens who had an opinion said that a majority of their peers should be more educated and care more about the election, but how can teens form their own political opinions?

That’s an answer local leaders on both side of the political aisle can agree on–educate yourself.

“Be educated on [the issues]. Read what you can and just educate yourself on what the issues are and then make your own decisions based on your own beliefs. ” said Whitworth.

“Do your own research. Don’t listen to what others have to say. Don’t follow the crowd. Be a leader,” said Hough.