In a February 2026 press conference, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, announced a partnership between Nebraska schools and Turning Point USA, a group known for promoting conservative values among young voters. Pillen’s office clarified later that schools would not be mandated to start a chapter, but that students could fill out a form to start a charter at their school.
Although some Nebraskans appreciate Pillen’s effort to bring TPUSA Club America chapters to more schools, others disagree, seeing his actions as solely advocating for the conservative movement.
At the press conference, however, Pillen explained that he didn’t see the partnership as political, adding that he was inspired by the late Charlie Kirk, who founded TPUSA in 2012.
“Charlie’s vision has inspired countless Americans to simply just stand up and talk about faith, talk about our family, talk about our love of country, talk about our values,” Pillen said. “I don’t see anything political about that, I see it as right and wrong, God and Satan, and it’s really, really important.”
Even though Pillen doesn’t view his actions favoring one political side, I believe it is only bridging the divide further.
The political climate in America has become extreme, on both sides of the spectrum. Right now, I don’t think implementing this organization is what America needs.
What we need is unity. When we bring conservative and liberal organizations into schools, to me that brings division.
It is acceptable to experiment and be open to new perspectives to learn, but to make young people feel like they need to coincide with a movement is wrong. I would argue that it actually pulls people in the direction of extremism from a young age, making them close- minded. Not only that, but some people aren’t ready to dive into the world of politics and they shouldn’t be forced to.
I want to clarify one important factor first. “Force” doesn’t always have to mean that the club is requiring students to participate or engage, rather it could be influenced by peers and how people are interacting with it. If someone notices that their friends are joining and they see videos on social media, they may feel pressured to become a member as well. This is where I start to see a problem.
This even applies to the existing political clubs in schools, like Young Republicans and Young Democrats. Although these are groups that prioritize education, they can be misused to add unnecessary pressure onto students.
In a Penn Today article, published October 2025, University of Pennsylvania researcher Diana Mutz reveals how participation in politics has spiked since 1996, while political tolerance is lessening. In the past, politics wasn’t discussed and debated as thoroughly as it is now, and there are some problems that are emerging as a result.
Politics has spread everywhere, especially on social media platforms. When teenagers pick up their phones and visit social media platforms, it is easy to come across political videos. As young people consume this information, they feel like they have to identify with a certain side, but they may not feel connected to either.
This disconnection doesn’t always develop from the influence of social media, instead family can play a huge role in it too.
Rider Behnke (11) can agree with this notion, because he was exposed to politics and pulled towards one direction tremendously due to his parents strong political standpoints.
Some, like Behnke, have felt pressure to align with their parents’ morals and values, taking away from their voice. In Behnke’s experience, as soon as the pressure was alleviated, he realized that both conservative and liberal ideas were valuable.
For instance, Behnke shared that during the Great Depression, liberal policies needed to replace conservative ones to assist with the economic crisis. In contrast, during the 60s conservative values became more popular among the American people for various reasons.
These instances prove how both ideologies can work together to bring resolution in times of uncertainty. When they chose to work against each other, they ended up working against the American people too.
Both parties exaggerate everything to the point where it can just be categorized as a plain old lie. Usually, they point fingers at each other, calling each other the “bad” or “immoral” party. But the truth is that, that’s not reality.
“There is no good or bad party, it’s based on whatever the nation needs,” Behnke said. “[This is] a way of thinking that we’re losing.”
Now, these political institutions attempt to gain support through harmful practices. In a American University Magazine, published Nov. 2023, Melody Herrington suggests how “nasty” politics is effective for votes. It grabs people’s attention and for many people, it indicates that the politician has a tough personality. And although the American people lean towards people that enact these practices, that doesn’t mean they are benefited in the long run. They are being cheated.
A way that parties engage in these practices is through deceitful campaigns.
Neither party wants to campaign on all the issues their “side” stands for, because some can be unpopular. According to a new Gallup survey, taken at the beginning of 2026, 45% of U.S. adults identify with the independent party (neither a republican or a democrat). Since most of America’s voter base takes a neutral stand in politics, these institutions need to be smart. They need to pick and choose the most appealing aspects of their party, hiding some truth behind their ideologies.
This isn’t a healthy environment for high school students and young voters to enter.
When these situations play out, and it always does, it takes away from the purpose of politics. It all starts to become a game.
“There are bad people on both sides,” Behnke said. “They defend [people] even if they’ve done terrible things for not only the American people but our allies on the other side of the planet.”
This really shows the public the truth behind politics. The campaigners don’t care for you, they care for themselves.
In our world today, students are the center voices for action, especially since we are the next generation to be in power. The youth know their voices matter, but America makes no room for them.
As a minor in politics, advocating and being an active political member of society seems pointless. No one really gets an actual voice until they reach voting age, 18 years old. Politics feels helpless for most people, especially the younger generations.
“I feel like teenagers who actually pay attention to politics feel like spectators who are being harmed constantly and have no say in it,” Behnke said.
