Boys State

In my junior year of high school, I had the opportunity to interview for Girl's State only to get rejected. My only concept of it was that you create a government and meet other girls. I went into watching Boys State with this limited knowledge and what I saw was further from my naïve thoughts.


Boys State has been run since 1935 by the American Legion. Boys State is a week-long exercise in self-governance. High School students are accepted and split into two parties that run political campaigns for several positions. Several famous politicians are alumni of Boys State such as Bill Clinton and Dick Cheney. This documentary shows how this simulation serves as a preparation for what is the rollercoaster of American politics.


All attendees are split into two parties, the Federalists and the Nationalists. It is up to the men to define the party's platforms and what they stand for. Boys State focuses on the race for Governor. Candidates need 30 signatures to be on the ballot. The last men standing for the role are Steven Garza and Eddy Proietti Conti.

Weirdly, in an environment full of boys, it was not as toxic as I expected. There was emotion and vulnerability in the men. Boys State puts a microscope on the current stage of American politics. It plays differently based on your own political beliefs. It also shows a glimpse of what is to come in our future leaders that can either give you hope or make you scared for what is to come. It is an entertaining look at the current state of politics and how young men interpret politicians' behavior.
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