Catherine Dorner: The democratic process in action
I had spent a lot of time campaigning for my candidate. I knew it was going to be a close, tough election. How was I going to make it through the day?
Then I had an idea.
I was planning to talk about the election that day in my Montessori preschool classroom anyway. Why not have a little election that the children could participate in?
With just a few minutes before the children arrived, I rummaged in my closet and found a set of “candidates.” I gathered a few other items and was in my chair ready to greet the first child.
I invited them to join my circle and approached the major topic of the day. “Today, grown-ups in our country are going to have to make a very important decision — who will be our next president,” I told them.
“Every four years, some people tell everyone that they want to be the president. We call them the candidates.
They travel around the country and talk to people about what they think is important — some things they may like about this country and other things they might want to change. Everyone who votes listens to what they say on the TV or radio, or reads information about them in the newspaper or on the computer.
“People talk to their friends and neighbors about what the candidates say and why they like one candidate more than another. On election days, like today, people can decide who they want to run our country and become the next president.
“Their decision is called a vote. All the votes are counted and the candidate that has the most votes wins the election.
“I thought it might be fun to have an election today. Would you like to try it?”
The children cheered. “OK,” I told them. “I have picked three candidates.”
I show them a bald eagle soaring in the sky. “What do we know about this candidate?”
Hands shoot up. They remark variously: He can fly, he has a sharp beak and talons, he is a good hunter, he has long feathers.
I show them a thoughtful chimpanzee. “What do you like about this candidate?”
The children submit chimpanzee characteristics: He is friendly, he can swing in the trees, he eats bananas, he is smart like people.
I show them a clownfish. “What do you like about this candidate?” I asked.
The children offer: He swims with the other fish, he is a pretty orange, they made a movie about him.
“While we go about our day today, you can think about who you would like to vote for president. Talk about it with your classmates. At the end of the morning before we go out to play, we will have our election.”
It was pretty amazing what happened next. Some of the little ones were pretty oblivious to the whole thing, or already confident in their candidate. Two of the older ones, Xander and Kay, decided they were for the eagle and launched a campaign to promote him.
“Come on, Sophia,” they persisted. “Why would you vote for the chimpanzee? He can’t even fly.”
“I like the chimpanzee,” Sophia said defiantly. “The eagle will not be a good president. He is mean.”
When they approached Ella, she proudly declared her vote, “I am voting for the clownfish!” She continued dreamily, “Because he is beautiful.”
“That’s no reason to be president,” Kay protested. “Yes, it is,” Ella pouted.
When they tried to sway Wally, he stood his ground, declaring, “I’m not telling. You can’t make me tell.”
Xander and Kay came back again and again to Mayumi, “Haven’t you decided yet, Mayumi?” they asked. “I just don’t know yet,” she said. “I’m still thinking about it. I like them all.”
When I gathered the children back into our group again at the end of the morning, they were all very excited to vote. The mood of the room became very somber and quiet.
They sensed something very important was about to happen. Like a priest offering the children a sacred Communion wafer, I slowly handed them each a piece of paper: “This… is… your… vote,” I said, suddenly overcome with the gravity of what was unfolding.
“Wait for me to call your name. You can put it in the box for your candidate and then sit down.”
With solemn faces, each child silently stood up and dropped a ballot into one of three boxes, positioned behind a little privacy screen. When all the ballots were delivered, I brought the box back to the circle and we began to count the votes.
Talk about transparency! And by the way, 100% participation.
The 27 votes, including those of me and my assistant broke this way:
Clownfish: 3
Chimpanzee: 11
Eagle: 13
When they learned the eagle had won the election, those who voted for the eagle cheered. The chimpanzee crowd was disappointed, and sighed. The clownfish supporters seemed pretty unfazed.
The spell soon broke and the children became restless. It was, after all, playtime.
Well, my candidate didn’t win. Yes, I was disheartened. But this little election exercise carried me through the depressing outcome with a little ray of hope.
As I observed the children participating in a political process, I wondered if democracy is an innate and natural human tendency.
What a revelation that children that young could draw so many parallels with a real election, without any prompting. I call on social scientists to study this phenomenon.
The eagle, the chimpanzee, the clownfish. How would you have cast your vote that day?
Comments
A New Generation
Absolutely lovely! What a kind, gentle, and thoughtful expression of the democratic process. Even more relevant today than 2004.