National Study on Structures of Democracy

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National Study on Structures of Democracy

• Constitutional Amendment
• Money in Politics
• Anne Schink, Peggy Appler, Pat Donath, Barbara
  Zia, Betsy Lawson, Jessica Jones

July 29, 2015 at 3 p.m. Eastern
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Welcome!

• Webinar in three parts
• Study process
• Constitutional Amendment Process
• Money In Politics Review and Update
• Use the chat and hands-up functions for comments
  and questions

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LWVUS Structures of Democracy

• 2014 National Convention vote
• Redistricting
• Constitutional Amendment Process
• Money In Politics

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Why Conduct Studies?

• To consider all sides of an issue
• To reach member consensus
• To develop positions on issues
• Process unique to LWV
• thoughtfulness sets us apart
• retains our respected reputation

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Why These Studies?

• Impact on Issues describes LWVUS positions
• States are gearing up on redistricting
• No position on Constitutional Amendment process
• Need update to Campaign Finance position

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Role of the Local League Board

• Appoint chair and study committee
• Add to League calendar
• Submit final electronic consensus forms to LWVUS

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Role of the Local Study Committee

• Read study materials on LWVUS League Management
  Site
• Handbook on Successful Consensus Meetings
• Constitutional Amendment materials
• Money In Politics materials
• Forum.lwv.org League Management Site

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Role of the Local Study Committee

• Read background materials
• Understand scope of study
• and consensus questions
• Schedule practice/briefing session

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Role of the Local Study Committee

• Assigns tasks for consensus meeting
• Facilitator (discussion leader)
• Presenter(s) (content expert)
• Time keeper
• Recorder

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Generate Interest in the Studies

• Post material in Voter and on local website
• Post material on social media
• Hold member meeting(s)

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Use Studies to Engage the Public

• Invite the Public Before Consensus Meeting
• Invite community members to learn with the League
• Create opportunities to inform
• Publicize educational speakers
• Ask interested people to join

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At the Consensus Meeting

• Note the ground rules
• Review the agenda
• Explain consensus
• Describe the roles of facilitator, presenter(s),
  timekeeper recorder

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What is Consensus?

• Discuss both pros and cons of an issue
• Consensus is a sense of the members
• A mutual agreement among members arrived at
  through discussion and understanding
• It is not a vote!

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After the Consensus Meeting

• Schedule a committee meeting
• Debrief and consolidate consensus results
• Present to the local Board

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After the Consensus Meeting

• Local Board approves the consensus
• One person submits the results
• on the LWVUS League Management
• Site

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Final Steps

• LWVUS study committee drafts a final position
• LWVUS Board approves position
• Once the position is approved, it becomes the
  basis for action.

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Constitutional Amendment

• Why this study?
• Public pressure to amend the Constitution
  Examples
• Balanced budget
• Overturn Citizens United

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Constitutional Amendment

• Scope of study
• Consensus questions in three parts
• Criteria for evaluating a proposed amendment
• US Article V Constitutional Convention
• Balance between League position and either an
  amendment or a Convention

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Constitutional Amendment

• Part 1 Criteria for supporting or opposing
• a particular Constitutional Amendment
• We have no member understanding and agreement on
  how to evaluate amendment proposals
•  

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Constitutional Amendment

• Part 2 Constitutional Convention
•  Article V provides that a Constitutional
  Convention shall be called by Congress if
  requested by 2/3 of the states
• We have no member understanding or agreement on
  whether we would support the concept of an
  Article V Constitutional Convention or the way
  such a convention would be conducted.

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Constitutional Amendment

• Part 3 Balance between League position
• and a Constitutional Amendment or
• an Article V Constitutional Convention
• Part 3 depends on the answers to parts 1 2 so
  should be considered after completing the first
  two parts of the study.

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Constitutional Amendment

• Format for Study Materials
• Consensus questions include a short pro and
  con statement
• Study Guide contains background on each question
  and a points of view section

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Timeline Constitutional Amendment Process

• Study Materials
• Resource materials at forum.lwv.org under Our
  Work
• Consensus questions and materials posted
• Study Guide available soon
• Consensus reports due December 1, 2015

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Money in Politics

• Why this study?
• LWVUS Position on Campaign Finance
• (1974 revised 1982)
• Predates important Supreme Court decisions
• Understand the extent to which LWV believes that
  financing a political campaign is protected speech

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Money in Politics

• Position on Campaign Finance
• LWVUS believes that the methods of financing
  political campaigns should
• ensure the publics right to know,
• combat corruption and undue influence,
• enable candidates to compete more equitably for
  public office and
• allow maximum citizen participation in the
  political process

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Money In Politics

• Scope of Work
• Conduct an update of the Leagues position on
  campaign finance
• Evaluate the extent to which political campaigns
  are protected speech under the First Amendment.

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Money in Politics
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Money In Politics

• Legislative Action in the 20th Century
• Response to corruption in the Gilded Age
• Tillman Act (1907)
• Response to growing unionization after WWII
• Taft-Hartley Act (1947)
• Response to campaign finance abuses and Watergate
• Federal Election Campaign Act (1971) and
  Amendments (1974)
• Response to fundraising and issue ad loopholes
• Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold,
  2002)

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Money in Politics

• Major Supreme Court Decisions
• 1976 Buckley v. Valeo
• 1990 Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce
• 2010 Citizens United v. FEC
• 2014 McCutcheon v. FEC

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Money in Politics

• The update will use the member consensus process
  to consider
• the rights of individuals and organizations,
• under the First Amendment,
• to express political views through
  independent expenditures
• and the financing of election campaign
  activities and
• how those rights, if any, should be protected and
  reconciled with the interests set out in the
  current position.

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Money In Politics

• Format for Study Materials
• Meetings in a Box
• Contents
• Reading list
• Issue papers
• PowerPoint script
• Newsletter templates

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Money In Politics

• What Leagues Can Do
• Gather information about money in politics in
  your state
• Conduct informational and consensus meetings
• Access resource materials on the League
  Management Site at forum.lwv.org under Our Work
• Participate in MIP Google Group
  https//groups.google.com/forum/!forum/lwv-money-
  in-politics

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Timeline Money in Politics

• Study Materials
• Resource materials available beginning July 2015
• Consensus materials available Fall 2015
• Local Leagues complete consensus by February 1,
  2016

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Questions Answers
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Thank you!

• For More Information
• Study Process dappler_at_homesc.com
• CA cacommitteechair_at_lwv.org
• MIP mipcommitteechair_at_lwv.org