Rock the Vote: Democracy Class
Encyclopedia
Rock the Vote: Democracy Class is a program put on by Rock the Vote
in the United States. It designed to educate high school students about voting, elections and governance. The nonpartisan
lesson plan uses music, pop culture, video, classroom discussion and a mock election
to teach young people the skills to navigate the elections process and engage as active citizens.
Research has shown that civic education and early participation in elections creates a habit of ongoing engagement. Democracy Class targets high school students across the country, bringing them into the political process and encouraging their involvement at an early age.
Democracy Class is supported by an advisory board of teachers, research experts and non-profit leaders, including the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, the Center for Civic Education, and the [National Council for the Social Studies, among others.
As is fundamental to Rock the Vote's organization, celebrities and artists give interviews and make appearances that augment the support and success of the program as they discuss the issues that concern them most. The site also has information on volunteer opportunities to register voters and free music from more than 20 different bands.
The motivation for Democracy Class comes from a 30-year trend of civic education being systematically cut from public schools; opportunities to learn about active citizenship are becoming rare. As programs to register newly eligible high school students are not widespread, the actions of Democracy Class have been touted as the next frontier in youth civic engagement. Democracy Class is an important part of Rock the Vote’s outreach plan in 2011 and beyond, considering almost 13,000 young people turn 18 every day.
The launch kicked off with Darren Criss
from Fox
’s hit series Glee
and radio station KIIS FM hosting Democracy Class at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles
, California
. Coverage of the event was highlighted in outlets such as MTV
’s The Seven, CBS Radio
, Fox’s Good Day LA, and the Huffington Post, resulting in over 100 million media impressions.
Various representatives and celebrities joined with students, teachers, and educators across the country to celebrate Democracy Class this spring:
Lesson Plan
Program Components
Reviews
, is the largest in United States History. So-called "Millennials" outnumber all generations before them; today there are 17 million more Millennials alive than Baby Boomers, and 27 million more Milliennials than there are members of Generation X
. By the year 2012, Millennials will represent 24% of the voting age population and 36% by 2012.
A majority of the Millennial Generation agrees that political involvement has tangible results and 42% believe that politics is relevant to their lives. Despite the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession, Millennials reportedly remain optimistic; an overwhelming majority (83%) still believes their generation has the power to change the country. Many in this generation have voiced their frustration at the pace of change in Washington
, with 59% reporting they feel more cynical about politics now than they did two years ago. Additionally, they are upset with the appearance of partisanship, with 46% agreeing that politics has become too partisan
and a plurality (36%) of young people reporting that they are indifferent in regards to which party controls the United States Congress
.
Those in the Millennial Generation are less likely to be registered to vote; compared to 83% of older generations, only 61% of Millennials say they are registered. With nearly 13,000 of them turning 18 each day and becoming eligible to register, this number should be higher but reports show that they are rarely given the opportunity to register. While citizens under the age of 30 are 21% of the adult population, they are 29% of the unregistered population.
Reports show that once young people are registered to vote, they tend to be among the most active. In 2008, 84% of 18-29 year old registered voters cast a ballot. Of the 75 million non-voters in 2008, 15 million were registered voters who had not moved. The remaining 60 million were unregistered.
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
in the United States. It designed to educate high school students about voting, elections and governance. The nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
lesson plan uses music, pop culture, video, classroom discussion and a mock election
Mock election
A mock election is an election organized for educational or transformative purposes.- Mock election for educational purposes :...
to teach young people the skills to navigate the elections process and engage as active citizens.
Research has shown that civic education and early participation in elections creates a habit of ongoing engagement. Democracy Class targets high school students across the country, bringing them into the political process and encouraging their involvement at an early age.
Democracy Class is supported by an advisory board of teachers, research experts and non-profit leaders, including the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, the Center for Civic Education, and the [National Council for the Social Studies, among others.
As is fundamental to Rock the Vote's organization, celebrities and artists give interviews and make appearances that augment the support and success of the program as they discuss the issues that concern them most. The site also has information on volunteer opportunities to register voters and free music from more than 20 different bands.
The motivation for Democracy Class comes from a 30-year trend of civic education being systematically cut from public schools; opportunities to learn about active citizenship are becoming rare. As programs to register newly eligible high school students are not widespread, the actions of Democracy Class have been touted as the next frontier in youth civic engagement. Democracy Class is an important part of Rock the Vote’s outreach plan in 2011 and beyond, considering almost 13,000 young people turn 18 every day.
Democracy Day 2011
In the spring of 2011, Rock the Vote launched the first annual Democracy Day, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave 18-year-olds the right to vote. On Democracy Day, teachers in all 50 states committed to teaching Democracy Class in more than 1,100 classrooms reaching tens of thousands of students directly and nearly 1 million through marketing and outreach campaigns.The launch kicked off with Darren Criss
Darren Criss
Darren Everett Criss is an American actor, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, and a founding member and co-owner of the theater company StarKid Productions. He currently portrays Blaine Anderson, an openly gay high school student, on the FOX television series Glee...
from Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
’s hit series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
and radio station KIIS FM hosting Democracy Class at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Coverage of the event was highlighted in outlets such as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
’s The Seven, CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
, Fox’s Good Day LA, and the Huffington Post, resulting in over 100 million media impressions.
Various representatives and celebrities joined with students, teachers, and educators across the country to celebrate Democracy Class this spring:
- United States Representative Jay InsleeJay InsleeJay Robert Inslee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes many of Seattle's northern suburbs in King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties...
joined students at Lake Washington High SchoolLake Washington High SchoolLake Washington High School is one of four high schools in the Lake Washington School District, with an enrollment of approximately 1076 students. It is in the Rose Hill neighborhood of Kirkland, Washington....
in Kirkland, WashingtonKirkland, WashingtonKirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state... - Ohio Secretary of StateOhio Secretary of StateThe Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing elections in the State of Ohio. The Secretary of State also is responsible for registering business entities and granting them the authority to do business within the state, registering secured transactions, and granting access to public...
Jon HustedJon HustedJon A. Husted is an American politician of the Republican Party who currently serves as Ohio Secretary of State. Previously, he was a member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 6th district . He also previously served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009 and Speaker...
led Democracy Class at LaBrae High School in Northeast Ohio. - The School District of Philadelphia sponsored Democracy Class in more than 35 of the city’s high schools.
- Hip-hop duo New BoyzNew BoyzNew Boyz is an American hip hop/rap group and a former jerkin crew duo made up of rappers Earl "Ben J" Benjamin and Dominic "Legacy" Thomas from Hesperia, California. They debuted in summer 2009 with their viral hit, "You're a Jerk", taken from their debut studio album Skinny Jeanz and a Mic,...
brought Democracy Class on a 3-city tour through Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati. - Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
teamed up with State SenatorState SenatorA state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
Jason Carter to teach in Atlanta. - The Youth Policy Institute, the largest after school program in the country, taught Democracy Class in dozens of its high schools in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with Vampire Diaries star and singer Kat Graham, NFL players Shawne MerrimanShawne MerrimanShawne DeAndre Merriman is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On November 2, 2010, the Chargers waived Merriman...
and Bernard BerrianBernard BerrianBernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
pro Jimmy ConradJimmy ConradJames "Jimmy" Conrad is a retired American soccer defender who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...
, and rappers David BannerDavid BannerLavell Crump , better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer and occasional actor. Banner was born in Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from Southern University. He started his music career as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz before going solo in 2000...
and Asher RothAsher RothAsher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm...
. - Platinum-selling artist Jason DeruloJason DeruloJason Joel Desrouleaux , better known by his stage name Jason Derülo, is an American singer-songwriter, actor and dancer. After producing records for several artists and writing songs for Cash Money Records, co-founder of the label Birdman, Young Money Entertainment owner Lil Wayne and rapper...
made an appearance at Bronx Guild High School teaching Democracy Class and registering the seniors to vote.
Implementation
Innovations and new program materials are being designed for students and teachers to use in Democracy Class, and Rock the Vote aims to ensure that the program builds toward educating students ahead of the 2012 presidential election and beyond.Lesson Plan
- The class begins with a video covering the history of voting rights and how young people are affected by elections.
- The class continues with a discussion of local issues identified by the students, showing how elected officials impact daily concerns.
- Eligible students are then registered to vote, and non-eligible students have an opportunity to “pledge to vote.”
- The lesson ends with an in-class mock election where students run for office based on a platform of issues they support.
Program Components
- Interactive lesson plan (45 minutes) that uses music and popular culturePopular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
as a means to teach students about civicsCivicsCivics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
and democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. - A website allows students to learn more about elections and civic engagement.
- Videos, music and personal appearances from Rock the VoteRock the VoteRock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
artists sharing their thoughts on issues most important to them and encouraging students to take action by participating in politics. - Registration of eligible students.
Reviews
- Teacher, educator, and student responses alike have been overwhelmingly positive. Barbara Wainer, a Social Studies Teacher and chair of her department in Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, had this to say: “Democracy Class is an excellent way for students to learn that they have a voice in the future if they take the time to vote. They loved reading the rapper’s words and hearing the songs that spoke about voting. This program helps to make the students understand that voting is essential to their future.”
The Millennial Generation
With nearly 50 million young people in the US ages 18–29, the Millennial Generation, or Generation YGeneration Y
Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation , Generation Next, Net Generation, or Echo Boomers, describes the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when the Millennial generation starts and ends, and commentators have used birth dates ranging somewhere...
, is the largest in United States History. So-called "Millennials" outnumber all generations before them; today there are 17 million more Millennials alive than Baby Boomers, and 27 million more Milliennials than there are members of Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
. By the year 2012, Millennials will represent 24% of the voting age population and 36% by 2012.
A majority of the Millennial Generation agrees that political involvement has tangible results and 42% believe that politics is relevant to their lives. Despite the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession, Millennials reportedly remain optimistic; an overwhelming majority (83%) still believes their generation has the power to change the country. Many in this generation have voiced their frustration at the pace of change in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, with 59% reporting they feel more cynical about politics now than they did two years ago. Additionally, they are upset with the appearance of partisanship, with 46% agreeing that politics has become too partisan
Partisan
-Political matters:*Partisan In politics, partisan literally means organized into political parties. The expression "partisan politics" usually refers to fervent, sometimes militant, support of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea...
and a plurality (36%) of young people reporting that they are indifferent in regards to which party controls the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
Those in the Millennial Generation are less likely to be registered to vote; compared to 83% of older generations, only 61% of Millennials say they are registered. With nearly 13,000 of them turning 18 each day and becoming eligible to register, this number should be higher but reports show that they are rarely given the opportunity to register. While citizens under the age of 30 are 21% of the adult population, they are 29% of the unregistered population.
Reports show that once young people are registered to vote, they tend to be among the most active. In 2008, 84% of 18-29 year old registered voters cast a ballot. Of the 75 million non-voters in 2008, 15 million were registered voters who had not moved. The remaining 60 million were unregistered.
Advisory Board
- Natasha “CoCo” Benitez, Dean of Students, Anacostia High School
- Ted McConnell, Executive Director, Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
- Sarah Calderon, Executive Director, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education
- Rebecca Sinderbrand, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
- Jonathan Estrin, President, Constitutional Rights Foundation
- Marc Skvirsky, Chief Program Officer, Facing History and Ourselves
- Benji MaddenBenji MaddenBenji Madden is an American guitarist and backup vocalist for the band Good Charlotte, which he co-founded with his identical twin brother, Joel Madden.-Early life:...
and Joel MaddenJoel MaddenJoel Rueben Madden is an American singer, record producer, actor, DJ, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, best known as the lead vocalist for the pop punk band Good Charlotte.-Early life:...
, Good CharlotteGood CharlotteGood Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin... - Steve BarrSteve Barr (educational innovator)Steve Barr is the founder of Green Dot Public Schools, a charter school organization that runs schools in New York and southern California.-References:...
, Founder and Chair Emeritus, Green Dot Public Schools - Brian Brady, Executive Director, Mikva Challenge
- Susan Griffin, Executive Director, National Council for the Social Studies
- Leah Clapman, Managing Editor, Education, PBS NewsHour
- Peter Levine, Director, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement
- Jon Rubin, Board of Directors, Rock the VoteRock the VoteRock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
- The Honorable Debra BowenDebra BowenDebra Lynn Bowen , a member of the Democratic Party, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential...
, Secretary of State, State of CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - The Honorable Sam ReedSam ReedSam Reed is the Secretary of State of Washington and a Republican. Reed is Washington's fourteenth Secretary of State.Reed received his bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from Washington State University...
, Secretary of State, State of Washington - Walt Townes, Founder, Vote 18