‘Girls State’ Considers American Democracy In The Hands Of Teenage Girls

Girls and Boys State, put on by The American Legion, are annual meetings that give high school students the opportunity to practice government through mock debates, campaigns, and elections. Students assume political offices, decide cases, and represent the beliefs of their not-quite-old-enough-to-vote-yet high school peers. Each state holds an annual Girls and Boys State, and they are typically held separately.

While these events were once earnest exercises in civics education, a new Apple TV documentary titled “Girls State” suggests that these events may not survive the present assault on traditional American values. To wit, the winning governor of the 2022 Missouri Girls State won on the platform: “Be prideful, be selfish, and vote Cecelia.” 

Her platform was essentially women have to think of themselves because the

Continue reading