Practice Makes Perfect: Engaging Student-Citizens in Politics through Theory and Practice

We study one aspect of the relationship between theory and politics, in order to begin to address this issue of political science education-specifically focusing on whether participation in the election process as voting monitors, combined with political science education, can help students better understand politics as democratic engagement. In fall 2008, Winona State University applied for and received a U.S. Election Assistance Grant to recruit and train 100 college students to serve as poll workers in the 2008 general election. The purpose of our study will be to test the hypothesis that the experience as election judges enables a real practice and application of democratic engagement. Three different groups of students are surveyed using pre- and postsurveys through the Carnegie Political Engagement Project survey instrument. We hypothesize the findings to be twofold. First, students who participate as election judges experience a higher level of political efficacy and civic engagement. Second, students who participate in the college poll worker program AND in courses of political science are more enlightened citizens. The findings suggest that theory does indeed inform political practice.