Sign up for the mailing list
How should you get involved in political reform?
Maybe you want to join one of the existing organizations. I am a
member of several, but they all can be a little frustrating. They
often don't deal with you as an individual, and it only seems that
they want your money. That is of course the opposite of the kind of
politics we want to encourage.
Nevertheless, as I said, I do join some and hope that my added voice
and my few dollars do make some difference. For the protection of
our Constitutional liberties, you really must support the ACLU. That
organization has been so demonized by so many over the years that it
is amazing they still keep at their great work, but they do. They
just happen to believe that our Bill of Rights and the other
provisions of our Constitution happen to be worth protecting, just as
they have been worth the lives of those who died for our freedoms.
They are criticized when they stand up for the rights of someone who
is "so obviously guilty," but then, years later perhaps, we learn
that the obviously guilty person was innocent all along. Even if he
or she was guilty, they deserved their rights under the law. So by
all means join that one in these trouble times. I know you can find
them yourself on the web without my providing links.
As for election reform and campaign finance reform, there are several
states trying to pass reforms that remove special-interest money from
election campaigns. Maine and Arizona have been at this for the
longest, having passed very successful campaigns (that still need
defending, however. If you will do a search for your state's name,
plus the words "Clean Elections," you will get the latest on who is
doing what in your area. (Sometimes this reform is called "voter-
owned" elections.) There are several national groups working on these
reforms, but they rarely pass funds along to the front lines where
they are most needed. So join a local group first.
And let's do keep in touch. I will be delighted to send along
information about what is happening nationally and in your state if
you will sign up on the contact page of this site. ALSO, If you want
to learn more about specific reform issues, sign up at my "New
England Reform School" website, which is also easy to find. Don't
click on the "donation" link, as we don't need your money. We need
your brains.
Sincerely,
Doris "Granny D" Haddock
Get involved and take action
New England Reform School
http://www.swingstate.org
Sign up and learn more about specific reform issues.
Clean election organizations
http://democracyweek.org/
A list of clean elections organizers by state.
League of Women Voters
http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
Learn how to get involved and find a local chapter of this nonpartisan political organization that has fought since 1920 to improve our systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy.
Public Campaign
http://www.publicampaign.org/
Learn clean election facts, join a voter blog and learn about how publicly financed elections work.
Americans for Campaign Finance Reform
http://www.just6dollars.org/
Learn about Granny D’s current crusade, clean elections. Includes an organizer’s toolkit, and a call for candidates to support public funding.
Register to vote
http://www.register-vote.com/
Voter registration forms, find your local representatives, political news and commentary, general voter education.
Common Cause
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=186966
Learn how to get involved in this nonpartisan advocacy organization by finding a chapter in your state. Since 1972, Common Cause has fought for the passage of tough campaign financing laws, initiatives requiring government to conduct the public's business in the open, and measures requiring high ethical standards for elected and appointed officials.
Learn more about campaign financing
The Center for Responsive Politics
http://www.opensecrets.org/
Find out how much money national candidates have raised and where the donations come from. Also includes analysis of campaign contributions and issue profiles of candidates and their parties.
National Institute on Money in State Politics
http://www.followthemoney.org/
This nonpartisan institute tracks campaign contributions in all 50 states and provides easily searchable data online.
Money and Politics
http://maplight.org/
Learn about the connection between money and politics by searching the campaign contributions and related legislative outcomes of members of the U.S. Congress and the California Legislature.
