West Virginia Elects Nation's Youngest Lawmaker

West Virginia Elects Nation's Youngest Lawmaker 

 (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/11/04/west-virginia-elects-americas-youngest-state-lawmaker/
By:  Kris Maher

1)  What is an appropriate age for making laws?  What advantages (if any) did she have over her opponents? Disadvantages?

2)  Why might young people feel differently about this than older?  Who should feel more pressure to act now, teenagers or senior citizens?    

3)  To what degree can this situation be compared to the business world?  How is politics like sports?  Have 18 year-olds always had access to the job of law making?  

4)  What if she were 17?  21?  What if this was in your state?  What should happen if she quits college to become a full-time legislator?  What if she was a Democrat?  Libertarian?  Could this happen in other countries?  

5)  To which state other than her own is this most relevant?  What are the long-term impacts on her district?  The country?  

Extension Activities:

1)  Students can analyse the trends in age representation for their state's legislature over the last 20 years.

2)  Students can highlight instances of young lawmakers in the country/world and compare their similarities.

3)  Students can outline the key moments in American legislation that affected young people the most.