Is the battle of the 2004 election over? Politicans are carving out their agendas in Congress for this fiscal year. Some are already considering their commitments to special-interest groups who elected them into office. Where does the role of the citizen stand? How can citizens combat the forces aganist the zip code 20005 lobbyist?
What the American University chapter of Democracy Matters engages in is combating special-interest groups that detract from the heart of the political process and refocusing attention away from politicans' pockets and back on the role of the individual system. We do not presume that the American political process is corrupt, but our aim is to entirely lessen the role of special-interest groups and elevate the role of the common constituent to where the focus is on policy, not the well-heeled lobbyist.
Another goal that our organization has in mind is to combat negative advertisements that hinder the democractic process. When special-interest groups such as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and MoveOn.Org place ficitious advertisements about the two main political contenders in a presidental election, it disrupts the political process and disenfranches the common citizen. Often times such special-interest groups express their views about their opponent in such negative portraits that it transforms democractic process into a bloodthirsty polarization of ideologies instead of a political round-table discussion of ideas. We seek to end such campagins and focus on the open communication lines of the democratic process by engaging the common citizen in awareness of the issues at hand.
Our club endorses neither of the main two American political parties, nor do we ever endorse individual political canidates. We strive to combat special-interest groups that have such influence over politics and to inspire the average citizen to get out the vote.
For instance, we engaged in a campaign in Southeast D.C. this fall to register impoverished youth voters that failed due to partisan politics. So this spring we hope to work with both sides of the political spectrum to register such voters, who may have been left by democracy's wayside on the grounds that their pockets are penniless compared with the money-hungry special interests that control their politicians' agenda. It was a shame that many youths and adults that members spoke with assumed that we were a partisan organization "hired by white politicans" to capture their vote.
Still, after much deliberation and three-plus hours, more than a half-dozen voters registered and were informed of Election Day and when voting registration materials would be sent to their homes. Two young females were glad to have registered and always had wanted to register but did not know how nor where to register. Registering one voter would be a success, and motivating two was an accomplishment since these youths had wanted to engage in the voter process but could not due to lack of information.
We are not furthering a war on poverty but want to see more voters across various economic spectrums participate and activate themselves in the political process instead of being left downtrotten without the knowledge of the importance of their voice through their vote. Our goal is to engage more voters from various economic and social backgrounds to participate in the political process and have the power of their vote represented at the voting booth.
Democracy Matters' main mantra is that voter disenfranchement can be elevated if people are given the means and the information about why they should vote and what it means to express their freedoms through the democratic process.
We do not want to see the 2008 election turn into a mockery of special interests controlling the airwaves, but an open dialogue for citizens to engage with the political contenders sans the influence of special-interest groups over their heads.
We will sit on our soapbox for "free elections, free America" until fair and free elections reshape the American democratic process. As long as special-interest influences are abolished from the political process, America can be a catalyst for fully funded campaign finance reform. Democracy Matters' solution to this issue is a fully funded federal system. It could cost each taxpayer roughly $3 to have state, local and national political contenders not be beholden to special-interest groups but instead to the citizens they represent.
In addition, political contenders would have to gather 250 signatures from registered voters who have made a contribution of $5 each for them to receive such funding. Signatures as well as donations would speak volumes for the candidate. Under this system, citizens could hold their politicans accountable to their needs over their pocketbooks and vastly growing expense accounts. Or politicans could elect to be bully-puppets for the special-interest groups and receive no such funding.
Democracy Matters' solution of a federally funded system would allow more choices of candidates to enter the political process, and such diversity would allow for a different political contender than the current template: wealthy white male. The possibilities for engaging miniorities in the political process would be enriched since they would now have the funds to compete with contenders of weathier backgrounds.
We know that this system works, since last semester the AU chapter hosted a National Lobbying Day, where chapter members from across the country spoke with a member of the Arizona House of Representatives on how he won office with 100 percent public financing. If any citizen doubts that public financing would work, we highly suggest interviewing his constituents. The House member spoke for 25 minutes on the issue and could have spoken about the benefits for several hours had we not had other appointments to attend with less enthusatic politicans. Ask Arizona citizens how satisfied they are with electing a member of Congress through a democratic process that is inclusive of candidates free of special-interest ties.
If you would like to end special-interest groups from dictating politics, register youth voters, help minorities and advocate for full public financing for political contenders, please come to our meeting tonight at 9 p.m. on the MGC couches, or feel free to contact our chapter at audemocracymatters@yahoo.com for more information on making American elections clean.
Stephanie Furman is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Public Affairs, and president of Democracy Matters.
