League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 League of Women Voters of Clark County Present Civics is Fundamental Building a More Perfect Democracy Katherine Murphy LWVCC Vice President & LWVWA Secretary Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Definitions Citizen: a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized Civics: the study of the rights and duties of citizenship Political: relating to the government or the public affairs of a country Nonpartisan: not biased or partisan, especially toward any particular political group Democracy: a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives Civics is Fundamental

Representative Democracy League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Representative Democracy Founders combined idealism… All men are created equal Right to life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness With a pragmatic view of human frailty… Three branches of government Rights not enumerated left to the states Checks & balances And they enshrined their century’s biases while leaving future leaders ways to change the constitution over time Civics is Fundamental

Citizenship Puzzles in 1789 League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Citizenship Puzzles in 1789 Who is a citizen? If women, slaves, immigrants & children do not have franchise, are they still counted in the census? How could all men be created equal when those defined as black are counted as 3/5 and Indians don’t count? Why do states grant franchise to citizens, even in federal elections? Do “persons” such as women, children, immigrants, & slaves have rights? Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Franchise Timeline 1776: White, 21 , property owning, literate men 1855: White, 21, men 1870: White & black men BUT Jim Crow laws constitutional 1910: In Washington, Women added 1920: Women, throughout US 1950s: Native Americans in all States 1950s: Asians in all States 1965: All citizens in reality (verified by Justice Dept.) 1971: All citizens over 18 2013: Justice Dept. oversight curtailed by Supreme Court Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 League of Women Voters Established February 14, 1920 League of Women Voters Principles Educate new voters & advocate policy Neither support nor oppose candidates or parties Membership at all 3 levels to everyone 16 and older National League has over 140,000 members Washington State has over 2200 members Clark County League has over 60 members Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 League of Women Voters Mission Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy. Vision  We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate. Values The League believes in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy. Civics is Fundamental

Nonpartisan on Parties & Candidates League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Nonpartisan on Parties & Candidates Candidate Forums & Debates Vote411 Promoting Civil Discourse & Media Awareness They Represent You Directory Fair Campaign Pledge Convene Community Forums on Issues Transportation Homelessness Mental Health Civics is Fundamental

Political Advocacy on Issues League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Political Advocacy on Issues Study issues from all sides & report findings Using consensus model, decide on League positions Take action to advocate for positions Education Lobbying Individual actions like letter writing Partner with other organizations League of Women Voters Positions on Issues Civics is Fundamental

Promote Civic Engagement League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Promote Civic Engagement Voter registration Candidate Forums Get Out the Vote Partnerships with schools & other nonprofits Studies & positions on campaign finance, transparency, electoral processes Observer Corps Election Observing during ballot processing Civics is Fundamental

Personal Preparation for Citizenship League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Personal Preparation for Citizenship Understand your values, e.g., The Political Compass Understand your biases, e.g., Project Implicit Know the bias of the news media outlets you consume, e.g., Media Bias/Fact Check Learn about polling data, e.g., FiveThirtyEight Fact check before republishing on social media, e.g., Snopes, FactCheck Read transcripts or watch events, e.g., C-SPAN Read & listen to “the other side” with an open mind Civics is Fundamental

How Will You Contribute? League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 How Will You Contribute? Continue learning—especially science & communication Be interested in issues & your community Lean toward optimism Speak out—to your representatives & peers Question authority Fact check before you publish Register, research, and VOTE Join with others in community to amplify your voice Civics is Fundamental