What You Need to Know (Even if you can’t vote yet).

Why Should You Care about politics if You Are Under 18?

Even if you’re too young to vote, the issues we are discussing below will affect your future. The decisions made in the next election could change things like: 

How your school is run

How laws are enforced

How the government works

What rights you and your family have

It’s important to stay informed about these issues. So let’s begin:

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has just released its new platform for the 2024 election, and it’s causing a lot of concern among progressives.

This platform is like a roadmap that tells us what the party wants to do if they win the election. Let’s break down what’s in it and why young people should be worried.

What’s in the New Platform?

The first thing of note is, the new Republican platform is a collection of catchy slogans and big promises like you hear at a Trump rally. It is not a comprehensive policy document that lists specific plans and then details how the Republicans will implement them, if elected.

The big problem with that is many people aren’t interested in politics and therefore don’t delve into the nitty gritty behind the catch phrases before they vote for them. That can result in a big surprise when they see how the policies are implemented.

Often, when a vague policy statement with a misleading, harmless looking title and a catchy slogan becomes law, it turns out to be completely different from what the catchy slogan suggested, but by then, it’s too late to change your vote.

Some of the main promises in the platform and what they mean in practice include:

 1. Eliminate the Department of Education and significantly reduce federal involvement in education.

  • That would shift more control to state and local governments and lead to a greater disparity in the quality of education in poorer districts and between states.
  • Restructure the Department of justice

2. Expanding presidential power:

  • The platform suggests giving the president more control over various aspects of government.
  • This would alter the balance of power between the three core parts of the government, Legislative, Executive and Judicial and make it easier for extreme policies to be implemented, with minimal oversight.

3. Supporting Donald Trump’s ideas:

  • The platform appears to align closely with many of Trump’s policies and rhetoric.
  • This includes themes often heard at Trump rallies and in his speeches.

4. Alignment with Project 2025:

  • Many proposals echo those found in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint for a new Republican government.
  • This includes potential changes to how federal agencies operate. Essentially, eradicating their ability to regulate industries for the benefit of the public and transferring their current powers to the Supreme Court.

Side Note from the Editor

The Supreme Court already moved in this direction in a June 2023, ruling, which significantly reduced the power of government agencies who employ experts to interpret and implement laws regarding the environment, health, securities and investments and many more. The ruling transferred the final decision on their interpretation to itself. That means, judges who have no expertise in environmental protection, health or the functions of many other agencies, will in future make these decisions based on politics rather than facts

5. Potential changes to the Justice Department:

  • There are suggestions of using the DOJ to investigate political opponents.
  • This raises concerns about the politicization of the justice system.

6. Immigration policies:

  • The platform likely includes stricter immigration policies, possibly including mass deportation plans that could split families apart and deport people who are working, paying taxes, serving in the armed forces and generally contributing to the community and economy.

7. Absence of certain topics:

  • The platform notably omits explicit mentions of abortion and marriage, which were contentious issues in previous platforms and still are.

    8. Economic policies:

    • While not explicitly mentioned in the excerpt, Republican platforms typically include positions on taxes that lead to wealthy people paying less tax and reduce government spending on services that help the less well off.

    It’s important to note that this information is based on initial reports and analyses. The full details of the platform may include additional points or nuances not captured in this summary.

    Many of these ideas come from “Project 2025,” which is a plan created by a group called the Heritage Foundation. This project is like a blueprint for what they want the government to look like if a Republican becomes president in 2024.

    Why Are People Concerned?

    Some people are worried because these plans could change a lot about how America works. Here are a few reasons why:

    1. More Presidential Power: The platform suggests giving the president much more control over the government. This would upset the current balance of power between the three co-equal branches of the government, Legislative, Executive and Judicial.
    2. Changes to the Justice System: Some supporters of these ideas have talked about using the Department of Justice to investigate or punish political opponents. This isn’t how the justice system is supposed to work.
    3. Removing Government Departments: Project 2025 recommends terminating or drastically reducing the following departments and agencies:
    1. Department of Education
    2. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    3. Department of Energy
    4. Department of Commerce
    5. Department of Labor

    Additionally, Project 2025 proposes major restructuring or reductions in other areas of government, including:

    1. Department of Justice
    2. Department of State
    3. Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
    4. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

      Women’s Rights: The United States Constitution provides a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion. However, in 2022, the majority right wing U.S. Supreme Court officially reversed Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that established the framework for legal abortions across the United States.

      In effect the Court took away a constitutional protection for women and since then, several states have tightened abortion restrictions to the point that residents cannot access abortion services. A number of states have commenced the process to outlaw abortion altogether.

      The effect of Donald Trump’s appointments to the Supreme Court is that the constitutional right for a woman to choose to have an abortion no longer exists.

      If Project 2025 is implemented by a Trump administration, there is a genuine concern that it could take away more rights that women currently have.

      Project 2025 Rebranded? Inside Trump’s Hidden Playbook for America

      Interestingly, while Donald Trump praised the new Republican platform before there was a rise in criticism of it, now he and his supporters are distancing themselves from Project 2025.

      They say they don’t know much about it or aren’t involved with it. However, many of the people who co-authored Project 2025 worked for Trump when he was president and are currently working on his re-election campaign, so it is hard to believe that they haven’t discussed it in detail.

      This has led to accusations of “gaslighting” – a term used when someone tries to make you question what you know or can see to be true. Critics say Trump and his allies are pretending not to know about plans they actually support.

      Why Does This Matter?

      These plans could have a big impact on everyone in the country, including young people who cannot vote yet. Here’s why it’s important:

      1. Education: If the Department of Education is removed, it would change how schools work across the country. Control would shift to state and local governments and lead to a greater disparity in the quality of education in poorer districts and some states.
      2. Democracy: These plans could weaken the democratic system by giving too much power to one person, effectively making them a monarch that might not be subject to the law and may not be voted out of office.
      3. Rights: Some people, especially women, might lose rights they currently have if a future, more authoritarian Congress, decided it was to their advantage. It is important to remember that women have not always had the right vote in America. The 19th amendment which granted women the right to vote was only passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920.
      4. Justice: Changes to how the justice system works could weaponize it against critics and opponents of the government or enable states to pass legislation that disadvantages voting rights for minorities. Proposed changes could affect how laws are enforced and who gets investigated or punished.

      What The Critics Are Saying

      Many people are speaking out against these plans. Here is a small selection of some of the things they say:

      1. It’s dangerous to give so much power to the president.
      2. The plans go against American values of democracy and fairness.
      3. I’m worried about losing the progress we’ve made on issues like women’s rights.
      4. The justice system shouldn’t be used as a political tool.

      Some critics are forming groups to fight against these ideas. For example, the Seneca Project  was created to inform women about what’s at stake in the upcoming election.

       

      What’s Next?

      The Republican National Committee’s Executive Committee voted on July 8, 2024, to adopt the new party platform. Party delegates officially adopted the platform at the 2024 Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024.

      In the meantime, there’s a lot of debate happening. Supporters say these plans will “Make America Great Again” (a slogan used by Donald Trump). Critics say the plans are extreme and could harm democracy in the US.

      It’s important to stay informed about these issues. You can do this by:

      1. Reading news from reliable sources
      2. Talking to your parents, teachers, or other trusted adults about what’s happening
      3. Thinking critically about what you hear and read
      4. Encouraging the adults in your life to vote and be involved in the political process

      Remember, in a democracy, every voice matters – including yours! Even if you can’t vote yet, you can still learn about the issues and share your thoughts with others.

      The more that people understand what the real issues are, what the policy differences are, and how those policies will affect their family and the country, the better prepared they will be to make an informed decision when it comes time to vote.

      As America gets closer to the 2024 election, don’t be afraid to form your own opinions. After all, it’s your future that’s being decided!