Parenting Pointers - How to Raise a Citizen

 Civics education is sorely lacking in American schools, leaving it up to parents to teach their children about civic engagement and the importance of making their voices heard in a civil way, advises Dr. Lindsey Cormack, Ph.D., political science professor, DCInbox founder and author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It's Up to You to Do It). But considering how hard it is to talk to other adults about politics without bickering, talking to kids about politics can be tough, too — but they're smarter than you think. Here are her top tips for talking politics with your kids:

1. Know your role: Depending on their age when you start discussing politics with your kids, they likely look up to you and regard you as their primary role model for how to engage with the world. Let them know you're open to having political conversations and to doing research into multiple perspectives.
2. Restrain your negativity: Even if you vehemently disagree with a political stance or detest a political figure, using insults, slurs or combative language when discussing it can color your child's views and make them associate politics with negativity overall. That can lead to disengagement or cause them to close off in discussions. Instead, show them how to approach issues with an open mind, curiosity and a willingness to learn about all sides of an issue.
3. Research and reach out to an elected official to humanize government: This may be the most crucial tool in your arsenal when discussing politics with your kids. Look up and write to a state or local political figure. If possible, try to arrange a meeting with them or their staff, or have your child say hello to them at an event near your home. Letting your kids know that government is comprised of actual people can go a long way towards making politics as a whole feel more accessible  — and can give your child a greater sense of agency in the civic process.

 

ABOUT LINDSEY CORMACK, PH.D.:

Lindsey Cormack, Ph.D., is an associate professor of political science and director of the Diplomacy Lab at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.

She earned her Ph.D. in Government from New York University and has spent over a decade researching political representation, congressional communications, and civic engagement. She is also the creator of DCInbox, a widely used digital archive of all official Congress-to-constituent e-newsletters, which has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight and ProPublica.

Dr. Cormack is author of How to Raise a Citizen (And Why It's Up to You to Do It) (2025), Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis (2018) and dozens of peer-reviewed articles published in leading journals including Political Behavior, Legislative Studies Quarterly and American Politics Research. She serves on the editorial board of Legislative Studies Quarterly and is frequently called on by the media to explain politics in accessible terms.

Cormack is one of the first class of lecturers in residence for the wildly popular Lectures on Tap events, where she speaks on multiple topics. She is secretary of Manhattan’s Community Board 8 and chair of its Street Life Committee.