Going to school and gaining an education can prepare you to make wise choices about the people you vote for by providing you with the following:
- Knowledge of the past: Learning about history can help you understand how past events have shaped the present and how policies have worked or failed in the past. This knowledge can help you make informed decisions about which policies and candidates are likely to be successful in the future.
- Understanding of government: Learning about how your government works, including the roles of different branches of government and how laws are made, can help you understand how policies are created and implemented. This knowledge can help you evaluate candidates' proposals and determine which ones are likely to be effective.
- Critical thinking skills: Education can help you develop critical thinking skills, which can help you evaluate information and arguments presented by candidates and make informed decisions about which candidates to support.
If you never learned about what happened in the past or about how your government works, you might make mistakes such as:
- Voting for candidates who make unrealistic promises: Without knowledge of past policies and their outcomes, you might be more likely to believe candidates who make unrealistic promises that are unlikely to be effective.
- Voting based on emotions rather than facts: Without critical thinking skills, you might be more likely to be swayed by emotional appeals rather than facts and evidence presented by candidates.
- Voting for candidates who do not have your best interests in mind: Without knowledge of government and policies, you might be more likely to support candidates who do not have your best interests in mind or who do not have a clear plan for how to address the issues that matter to you.