How Kids Can Compare Political Candidates Fairly

A candidate comparison chart helps children understand elections by placing important information side by side. Instead of relying on a slogan, a dramatic speech or a colourful poster, young people can examine what candidates believe, what they promise and how their plans might affect families and communities.

The activity works well for classroom discussions, family conversations and youth civic projects. It can be used with historical campaigns, such as John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, or with current candidates in a local, state or federal election. The aim is not to tell children whom to support. It is to help them ask thoughtful questions and recognise reliable evidence.

A good chart should be simple enough for a primary-school student to follow while still encouraging careful research. Children can use short notes, clear headings and a small number of issues. Adults can help explain unfamiliar political terms, check sources and remind young researchers that disagreement is a normal part of democracy.

Choose Issues Children Can Understand

Begin with three to five issues that connect with everyday life. Suitable topics might include schools, healthcare, the environment, public transport, jobs, housing, online safety or support for local communities. A child in Sydney might be interested in bus and train services, while a family in Perth could focus on water use, mining jobs or distances between suburbs.

Avoid choosing so many topics that the chart becomes confusing. Younger children may compare two or three subjects, while older students can investigate five. The goal is to create a useful snapshot rather than a complete record of every policy a candidate has ever discussed.

Explain each issue in plain language before research begins. “Climate policy” could become “How would this candidate help reduce pollution and prepare communities for heatwaves?” “Education” might become “What would this candidate do to support students, teachers and school facilities?” Clear wording makes the comparison more meaningful.

Build A Chart That Separates Facts From Opinions

Create columns for the candidate’s name, their position, proposed action, supporting evidence and possible effects. Another useful column can record whether a policy is clearly explained, partly explained or difficult to verify. Children should be encouraged to write short summaries instead of copying long passages from campaign material.

A basic layout might include:

• Issue
• Candidate A’s position
• Candidate B’s position
• Evidence or source
• Questions or concerns

The chart should distinguish between a promise, a personal opinion and an established fact. “This candidate says they will build more homes” describes a campaign promise. “The plan would cost a certain amount” is a claim that needs evidence. “I like this idea” is a personal response and belongs in a separate reflection section.

Use balanced language throughout the worksheet. Words such as “supports”, “opposes”, “proposes”, “has voted for” and “has not explained” are more precise than labels such as “good”, “bad” or “terrible”. Children can still express preferences, but they should first show how they reached them.

Find Sources Children Can Check

Begin with official campaign websites, published speeches, election platforms and parliamentary records where available. For Australian research, the Australian Electoral Commission can explain how voting works, while government department websites may provide background on existing programmes and laws. A local council website can help children understand issues such as rubbish collection, libraries, parks and community facilities.

News sources also have a role. ABC News, for example, may provide election reporting that is useful for comparing announcements and interviews. Children should check the date of each report because political positions can change during a campaign. A story from a previous election may describe a promise that no longer applies.

Campaign advertisements are useful primary sources, but they are designed to persuade. Ask children to identify the message, the images, the emotional language and the evidence supplied. A poster from the 2004 Kids for Kerry archive can show how young supporters communicated political ideas, yet it should be treated as campaign material rather than neutral reporting.

Teach a simple source-checking routine: identify who published the information, find the date, look for evidence and compare the claim with another trustworthy source. If a statistic appears in a social media post, children should not place it in the chart until an adult helps them locate the original source.

Explain Australia’s Election Context

Australian children need some background before comparing political candidates from overseas. Federal voting is compulsory for eligible Australian citizens aged 18 and over, and the preferential voting system means voters usually number candidates in order of preference. This differs from the United States system used in the 2004 Kerry campaign, so a chart should explain the difference rather than treating every election as identical.

The level of government also matters. A federal candidate may discuss Medicare, immigration or national economic policy. A state candidate may focus on hospitals, public schools, roads or public transport. A local councillor is more likely to deal with rubbish services, planning decisions, sporting grounds and libraries. Identifying the office prevents children from judging a candidate on promises they would not have the power to deliver.

Local circumstances can make the comparison more concrete. Students in Melbourne might examine tram access or housing density, while students in Brisbane could discuss flood preparation. Families in regional New South Wales may focus on drought, mobile coverage or access to medical services. Children in remote areas may have different priorities from those living near a major city, and the chart should make room for those differences.

Everyday Australian habits can provide useful examples without turning the activity into a popularity contest. Compare policies on supermarket prices, school lunches, energy bills, cycling to school or weekend sport. These subjects connect political decisions with ordinary routines while showing that public policy can affect households in different ways.

Discuss Promises, Costs And Practical Effects

A candidate’s idea should be examined from several angles. What problem is the proposal meant to solve? Who would benefit? Who might pay for it? Would parliament, a state government or a council need to approve it? Is there a timetable, a budget or a clear method for measuring success?

Children can use a simple “policy detective” box beside each entry. They might record the expected benefit, a possible drawback and one fact they still need to find. For example, a plan to improve public transport could make commuting easier, but the chart could also ask how much construction would cost and whether outer suburbs would receive the same benefit as central Sydney or Adelaide.

Local legislation can help demonstrate why political promises require careful reading. Australian schools and families operate under rules involving privacy, anti-discrimination, road safety and compulsory voting for adults. A candidate may propose changing a law, funding its enforcement or creating a new programme. Those are different actions, and children should identify which one is actually being promised.

It is also useful to compare feasibility without expecting children to become economists. A plan may sound attractive but lack a funding source, require cooperation from another level of government or take many years to complete. Marking a proposal as “clear”, “partly explained” or “needs more evidence” encourages healthy scepticism without dismissing an idea too quickly.

Turn Research Into A Respectful Discussion

Once the chart is complete, children can write a short reflection using evidence from their notes. They might explain which issue mattered most to them, which candidate had the clearest plan and what information remained uncertain. The reflection should focus on reasoning rather than announcing a winner.

A classroom or family discussion can follow a few ground rules: listen without interrupting, criticise ideas rather than people, use the chart as evidence and allow room for different priorities. A child who values environmental protection may reach a different judgement from someone who is most concerned about household costs. Both views can be discussed respectfully.

Creative activities can make the lesson memorable. Children might design a neutral information poster, record a two-minute comparison report or create a mock town-hall meeting. They can also examine archived youth campaign materials from 2004 and compare their style with contemporary websites, short videos and social media posts.

Finish by asking children to update the chart if new evidence appears. This shows that civic knowledge is ongoing rather than a one-time worksheet. Political promises can be clarified, amended or challenged, and responsible citizens continue checking information before forming a firm view.

Use a blank sheet or digital document to create a comparison chart today. Choose a few relevant issues, gather evidence from reliable sources, record each candidate’s position in neutral language and discuss the results with a trusted adult or classmate. Through this small activity, children can practise the research, listening and decision-making skills that support active democratic participation.