Understand how citizens can participate in political party activities locally, statewide, and nationally. examine the decision-making process. research a political issue. use the decision-making process to take action on a political issue. before you begin before beginning, it is important to understand the decision-making process. the decision-making process consists of five steps. step one: identifying situations that require a decision in order to make a decision, you have to be able to identify a situation that requires a decision. situations that require a decision almost always begin with a question. the questions can be basic. what am i going to wear to prom? what are we making for dinner? what movie should we go see? or, the questions can be more complex. which college should i attend? what career path do i want to pursue? what community organization do i want to become part of? step two: gather information the second step in the decision-making process is to gather information regarding the question. for example, in deciding which college to attend, it is important to gather information about various colleges and the programs they offer. gathering information is not just about spending some time on google. while a college website might give you some good information, you don’t know what the college is really like until you physically visit. therefore, when gathering information, think outside the box. what question are you trying to answer? what type of information will best provide that answer? step three: identify options after gathering information, it is time to identify the options. most questions asked in the decision-making process have multiple answers. the key is to figure out the answer that is best for that specific situation. identifying options is simply a process of outlining possibilities. in researching various colleges, you will most likely identify two or three that are your preferred options. step four: predict consequences in weighing options, it is important to predict consequences. consequences, by nature, are not negative. every action we take has a consequence, or an outcome. those outcomes can be either positive or negative. when predicting the consequences of a decision, weigh both the pros and cons. perhaps choosing one college over another takes you farther away from home. however, perhaps choosing that college also offers you more opportunities for hands-on experience in your field of study. step five: take action to implement a decision the final step in the decision-making process is, of course, to make your decision. once you have decided on a course of action, follow it through. apply to the college you have decided to attend. fill out the fafsa and research potential scholarship opportunities. do what it takes to see your decision through. engaging in the decision-making process to begin the process of decision-making, brainstorm some political issues that are important to you. these can be issues you see in your local community, in your state, or even at the national level. use the organizer below to you brainstorm some issues. then, choose one issue you are most interested in exploring. click here to access the brainstorming issues worksheet. directions use the decision-making chart to make a decision about an action you can take that addresses the issue you identified above. your action does not need to be big, such as running for political office. rather, think about things you can do right where you are to support this issue. for example, if you believe your community could benefit from building a community center, think about actions you could take to begin that process. perhaps you will make an appointment to meet with a city council member to discuss the issue. maybe you will draft a letter about the issue and send it to all of the city council members. or, you might develop a formal proposal to take to a city council meeting. once you have engaged in the decision-making process, you will write a brief reflection paper about the experience. your paper should do the following. explain each step you took in the decision-making process. examine the effectiveness of the decision you made. reflect on how the decision-making process can be used in political party activities. click here to access the decision-making chart. prompt after engaging in the decision-making process, write a 300 to 450-word reflection about the process. describe all of the steps you took in the decision-making process and evaluate the effectiveness of the decision you made. reflect on how the decision-making process you engaged in can be used in political party activities.