Politics: it's a conversational subject almost guaranteed to cause trouble. It's also something that even young kids can't ignore since political ads are plastered on every TV set, roadside sign and pencil in America come election time.

So if children and teens are exposed to politics, but aren't supposed to talk about them, how do they choose their political party once they're able to vote? Most often, they simply choose the party their parents are affiliated with.

From a very young age, children are taught morals and beliefs -- mostly, if not entirely, by their parents. And their parents likely support the political party whose views most adhere to their beliefs. So if kids grow up learning their ethics from and sharing them with their parents, it makes sense that they will choose the same political party, too.

This becomes a repetitive cycle passed from generation to generation, dictating a person's choice. The majority of young people will never combat this. They simply accept the party of their parents without informing themselves of the facts.

This can be dangerous in the polls. Many people never educate themselves on the candidates or issues, so they don't know the whole story. They just know there are candidates from different political parties, and they are registered with a certain party, so they vote for that party straight down the ballot. They never contemplate the individual politician's convictions.

It is true that some teens go against their parent's beliefs, but this is less common. Some do so because of how they feel on certain issues, but some do it just to do it. Unfortunately, the first types are few and far between.

Naturally, this causes conflict. But if the teens are doing it because they truly believe in the other party, the conflict is worthwhile. If they are just doing it to be contrary, though, it can be harmful because they won't actually understand the party they're voting for; they'll just vote for it to make their parents mad.

The nature of politics is to contemplate, experiment and learn. Each person must seek his or her personal beliefs regardless of whether or not they go against the grain. If our forefathers didn't pursue the ideals they believed in, America wouldn't be what it is today.