Different countries organize their governments in different ways. In the United Kingdom, laws are made by Parliament, while in the United States, they are made by Congress. The United States is also a federal country, which means that power is shared between the national government and the states. In contrast, Taiwan does not have states, so most power belongs to the central government. However, every democracy has one document that is more important than all the others. It is called the constitution. It protects the basic rights of citizens and limits what politicians can do. Learning about these political systems helps us understand the news and become better citizens.

Last semester, my best friend decided to run for president of the student council. At first, she was nervous about speaking in front of the whole school. However, she prepared a thorough plan, including longer library hours and more plentiful choices at the school snack shop. She spent weeks talking to students in every grade and listening to their ideas. Two days before the election, a quick poll showed that she was behind. Instead of giving up, she gave an excellent speech at the morning assembly. In the end, she won by just thirty votes. Later she told me that politics is really about listening.