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The Health of Our Democracy Money in Politics

• Welcome!
• Please Help Yourself To Some Cookies.

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THE DIFFICULT TASK BEFORE US

• Getting people excited about Campaign Finance
  Reform

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Objectives For The Night

• Think about why democracy is so important to us
• Learn about and Discuss the Issue of Money in
  Politics and how it affects our democracy
• Become informed about the ways we can help ensure
  the health of our democracy

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The Presenters Objectives for the Night

• Convince you that this is an organization that is
  worth your time and effort. Convince you that
  this organization can truly make a difference.
• Make tonight more exciting than a lecture.
  Thats why our next activity is democratic
  charadesjk.

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Who We Are

• Democracy Matters (GAC Chapter) is a
  non-partisan, student organization dedicated to
  the health of American democracy on all levels of
  government. The local GAC chapter is part of a
  much larger and growing student movement all
  across the United States. Currently our primary
  focus is money in politics, especially, when it
  comes to the influence of money in our elections.
  Because of our concerns we advocate Fair and
  Clean Election reforms such as the ones found in
  Arizona, Maine, and North Carolina. These
  reforms make public funding available for serious
  candidates to run on thus taking the influence of
  private donors out of the picture. Our
  conviction for this cause stems both from our
  belief in a democratic system and also in our
  belief that FACE reform makes other important
  reforms possible.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF
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History

• Founded by Professional Basketball player -
  Adonal Foyle. He is a center for the Golden
  States Warriors.
• Real democracy on the other hand has to allow
  everyone an equal opportunity to influence
  political decisions, regardless of your race,
  gender or sexual preference, and regardless of
  your wealth. Adonal Foyle
• Over 60 Chapters around the country.
• Fairly New to Gustavus.

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• Theme Quote
• Cleanly financed elections that bring more
  citizens into the political process as
  candidates, donors, and organizers are vital to
  maintaining the health of American democracy.
• New York Times Editorial

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Opening Questions

• What does a healthy democracy look like?
• And why exactly is democracy important to you?
• 5 minute brainstorm

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Some Famous Definitions
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what
to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb
contesting the vote! --Benjamin Franklin
If liberty and equality, as is thought by some
are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will
be best attained when all persons alike share in
the government to the utmost. - Aristotle
I swear to the Lord, I still can't see, Why
Democracy means, Everybody but me. - Langston
Hughes
Democracy is a way of Life. - John Dewey
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Arguably the Most Famous Definition

• It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated
  here to the unfinished work which they who fought
  here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is
  rather for us to be here dedicated to the great
  task remaining before us -- that from these
  honored dead we take increased devotion to that
  cause for which they gave the last full measure
  of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that
  these dead shall not have died in vain -- that
  this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
  freedom -- and that government of the people, by
  the people, for the people, shall not perish from
  the earth.
•  
• - Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address (1863)

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Does America Truly Reach This Ideal?

• We dont think so.
• But we also think we can help change that.

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The Problem
Money In Politics
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Symptoms of our Democracys Sickness

• Declining voter rates
• Apathy and Cynicism about affecting political
  decisions (this is especially prevalent amongst
  young people)
• The number of uncontested and non-competitive
  elections have grown.
• Bright and ambitious people less often want to
  spend their lives in politics and government
  service

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Pointing Out the Disease

• Campaign spending is out of control.
• Nearly 530 million dollars were spent in the last
  presidential election
• Politicians spend more time talking to donors
  than to voters.
• It is reported that most politicians spend nearly
  50 percent of their time fundraising.

Sources opensecrets.org, democracymatters.org
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• Because donors are more important to a
  politicians success they are prone to be more
  accountable to a donors interests than to their
  constituents
• Good people cant run for office without relying
  on big money contributions or personal wealth.
  Campaigns are almost always determined by who is
  the wealthiest.
• In every presidential election since 1984, the
  Republican and Democratic candidate with the most
  money a year before an election has won his
  partys nomination.

Sources www.democracymatters.org,
www.yaleherald.com/article-p.php?Article2757
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Not Good Enough for Abe

• Our government is not completely made OF the
  people because wealth almost always determines
  the winner of elections.
• Our government is not completely created BY the
  people because special interests influence
  elections more than voters in many cases.
• Because our government is not completely OF and
  BY the people it does not always work FOR the
  people.
• People that give money expect to receive in
  return
• Wealth determines political power.

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Questions, Concerns, Outbursts?

• Initial reaction?
• Kira and Whitney have prepared a wonderful hand
  out that shows how these things affect you
  everyday.

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The Solution

• The need for collecting large campaign funds
  would vanish if Congress provided an
  appropriation for the proper and legitimate
  expenses of each of the great national parties,
  an appropriation ample enough to meet the
  necessity for thorough organization and
  machinery, which requires a large expenditure of
  money.
• President Theodore Roosevelt
• Whats Teddy Talking about?

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Fair and Clean Elections
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What will FACE Reform Accomplish?

• End the skyrocketing cost of campaigns and reduce
  the amount of time candidates spend fund raising.
  They will spend their time talking to voters not
  donors.
• Reduce the influence of special interest money
  and make politicians less accountable to them
• Level the playing field for good people with good
  ideas.

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How will it do this and how does it work?

• FULL PUBLIC FINANCING (like Teddy was talking
  about) for any candidate who wants to run clean.
  Since the election is provided by the public the
  candidate is accountable to the public and not to
  the Big Money which finances them now.
• To qualify for Public Funds (I mean were not
  just giving out free money here) the candidate
  must go out and talks to VOTERS and collect small
  contributions (50 or less) from eligible donors
  to show grassroots support.

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• The full public financing allows spending caps in
  a constitutional manner. This helps to control
  the cost of campaigns.
• THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
  WOULD COST LESS THAN A PENNY A DAY PER TAX PAYER.

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A Step by Step Description
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Abe gives the OK.

• FACE Reform allows people who would not have
  otherwise been able to run the chance to run. A
  government OF the people.
• Full public financing provides for a government
  created BY the people, because the elections were
  publicly financed.
• This reform makes Fair and Clean candidates
  accountable to voters (aka the people). A
  government FOR the people.

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The Best Part About This is that We know it works

• Maine and Arizona
• Amazing Results
• Arizona 23 increase in voter turnout since
  1998.
• Maine and Arizona 10 increase in the number of
  women candidates.
• Arizona saw the number of candidates of color
  nearly triple.
• Strong Bi-Partisan Support
• Nearly 60 of Arizonas Clean Election Officials
  are Republicans.
• Nearly 65 of Maines Clean Elections Officials
  are Democrats.

Source www.publiccampaign.org
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Candidates like it TOO

• Its a good way of giving government back to the
  people It lets people who are not well-connected
  run for the legislature.
• Sen. Ed Youngblood (R Maine) is a banker and
  was a first time candidate in 2000. He defeated
  a long-time, powerful incumbent.
• I got to spend time with voters as opposed to
  spending time dialing for dollars or trying to
  sell tickets to 250 a plate fundraisers.
• - Governor Janet Napolitano (D Arizona) ran as
  a Clean candidate in 2002. She defeated a
  privately-financed opponent.

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ROLL FILM

• We are lucky because Public Campaign put out this
  short and excellent film that tells us all about
  whats going on in Arizona and Maine.
• Title The Road to Clean Elections

Enjoy the show and the groovy music.
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Responses to the Filmand Questions in General?
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Finally What you can do?

• The work of Democracy Matters is extremely
  important. It reclaims our democracy and makes
  many other reforms possible.
• As they say
• Change Elections. Change America.

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• Currently our main focus is education both at GAC
  and all around MN.
• Goal
• When anyone at Gustavus hears the term FACE they
  know what we are talking about.
• Our other focus is political.
• Writing our congress people. Etc.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING

• OUR NEXT MEETING IS NEXT MONDAY AT 7PM in the
  COURTYARD