Local Politics

The impact of individual and group efforts can be decisive in local political races, such as in the elections for a judge, a district leader, or in the State Assembly. Having one-on-one conversations about what is happening in our own community is powerful because we discuss the policy choices that directly affect our lives.

Get Involved!

Citizens are the players in politics. They have the opportunity and the responsibility to determine who is elected into office. When citizens are involved, they are taking part in shaping public policy decisions. When they choose not to be engaged, they are assenting to the status quo, as opposed to fighting for the way that things could be.

Public Policy and Politics

We live in a society that is shaped by our public policy choices, which are directly derived from the results of political elections. We need idealistic people in both government and politics, who care about the outcomes and the policy choices that we make as a society.

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Ben Theodore is a passionate community activist in Brooklyn, New York, as well as a program associate at the NYC Department of Education. He has previously worked as a campaign staffer and a teacher with the District of Columbia Public Schools and Teach for America. You can follow him on Twitter @btheodore.

Ben Theodore is an avid community activist in Brooklyn, as well as a program associate at the NYC Department of Education. His passion for civic engagement shows how it can transform our society. We discuss the power of local politics and grassroots activism, our responsibility as citizens, and the importance of idealism in public policy and politics.

Voting

People broadly agree that voter turnout should be higher and that voting should be easier, for example by making Election Day a holiday. Although everyone over age 30 is convinced that voting is a fundamental way to create change, only half of young people agree. Surprisingly, a quarter of Americans are unsure about the most fundamental requirement to be eligible for voting: you have to be a citizen.

Demographic Changes

America is no longer a majority white Christian country. However, the diversity in the American religious and ethnic landscapes today will not show up at the ballot box until 2024, if current turnout rates stay the same. Because the voting population is primarily older and whiter, the ballot box rewinds the demographic change clock by about a decade. Bucking the trend this year, black women are poised to turn out at much higher rates than they historically have.

Partisanship

Our nation’s tribalism has devolved to the point where many have stopped examining the issues and instead have used them to indicate their partisan loyalty. Seven in ten Americans have said that they need a break from the news because it is so exhausting. Public schools are less integrated than in the 1980s, and churches are becoming increasingly partisan as well as mono-racial. One sliver of hope is that at the local level, people are putting aside their differences to make their communities better.

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Robert P. Jones, Ph.D. is a leading scholar and CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy.

Robert P. Jones, Ph.D., is the CEO of PRRI, a leading scholar, and the author of The End of White Christian America. PRRI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy. We discuss how partisanship, demographic changes, and low voter turnout affect American society.

The Powers of Voting

Voting is our civic duty and our opportunity to participate in our democracy. We can hold our leaders accountable and also express what we believe this country can and should be. Voting means a lot to people in traditionally disenfranchised communities because it serves as an important expression of who we are as citizens. If it weren’t powerful, nobody would try to suppress our right to vote.

Voter Suppression

Strict voter ID laws, voter roll purges, early voting cutbacks, and documentary proof of citizenship are the most effective ways to disenfranchise voters. Since the wave election in 2010, at least 23 states have enacted voter suppressive laws that are in place for this year’s election. This trend was made worse when the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 in “Shelby County vs. Holder” in 2013, which eviscerated the pre-clearance process and made room for states to enact stricter voting laws without oversight from the federal government.

Expansive Pro-Voter Laws

The most promising and bipartisan way to expand the electorate is through modernization provisions, such as online voter registration and Automatic Voter Registration (AVR). Some studies in Oregon have shown that AVR also boosts voter turnout. With increased adoption of AVR across states, it will be more widely implemented over time. Other effective measures are Election Day Registration, expanding Early Voting, and restoring the right to vote to former felons who have completed the terms of their sentence.

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Max Feldman serves as Counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law, where he focuses on voting rights and elections.

Max Feldman serves as Counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, a nonpartisan institute that works to improve our democracy and judicial system. We discuss the powers of voting, the need to modernize election systems and enact pro-voter laws, as well as the rising trend of voter suppression since 2010.

Political Power

The proactive strategy of Latino Victory to build power through elections is a recipe for success. They focus on grooming and training candidates who represent their community’s values, empowering Latino voters, and developing a pipeline of Latino donors. The proof is in the pudding: great Latino candidates are exploding Latino turnout.

Demographics

Latinos represent 18% of the U.S. population and natural-born Latinos are the fastest part of demographic growth. Half of them live in states that are not battleground states, which means that most candidates ignore them. In addition, Latinos only make up about 1% of all elected officials. The 2016 election shook this dynamic up, the way that Prop 187 mobilized Latinos in California. Four of the most competitive U.S. Senate races are in Latino states: Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada.

Latino issues are American issues

Surveys show that Latinos prioritize on the issues just like most other Americans. Healthcare tops the list, followed by a strong economy, good jobs, education, and the environment. “You could just as easily call a Latino Victory Fund, "American Victory Fund”.”

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Cristóbal Alex is the President of Latino Victory, an organization that works to grow Latino political power by increasing Latino representation at every level of government and building a base of donors to support this critical work.

Cristóbal Alex is the President of Latino Victory, an organization that works to grow Latino political power by empowering voters, donors, and candidates. We discuss why it is essential to increase Latino representation in government, how to include this community more in our democracy, and how this benefits all Americans.

Phil Polakoff is a physician with a distinguished career in public health and clinical medicine, the CEO of A Healthier We, and a consulting professor at Stanford University of Medicine. We discuss how an emphasis on prevention coupled with innovations in healthcare access and delivery can help us share greater health and equity for all Americans.

Demand Better Healthcare Policies

We need a more efficient and effective health delivery system that encompasses all of us. Follow political candidates who are engaged in nuanced discussions about access, quality, and costs, instead of simple slogans. Social determinants such as housing, income, transportation, education, and the environment must be a part of any debate on healthcare. State or local level initiatives might lead on innovation.

Opportunities for Reform

Good health must start with personal responsibility and an emphasis on prevention. Access to healthcare should be optimized, both to avoid under utilization or over utilization and to address shortages of medical expertise, such as in mental health and elder care. Pilot programs that offer a holistic, team-oriented approach and use innovative technology are a good way to discover what works.

Healthcare is a right

We can engage along many points of the ecosystem that contribute to healthy living. Addressing all of the inequities in our healthcare system requires us to take part and hear each other’s ideas out, share past experiences, and find culturally appropriate solutions in each community. We can achieve greater health and equity for all Americans when we share health as a universal value.

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Phil Polakoff is a physician with a distinguished career in public health for over 35 years and an affiliated scholar at the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford University.

Phil Polakoff is a physician with a distinguished career in public health and clinical medicine, the CEO of A Healthier We, and a consulting professor at Stanford University of Medicine. We discuss how an emphasis on prevention coupled with innovations in healthcare access and delivery can help us share greater health and equity for all Americans.