Future Hindsight

Pam Elam and Namita Luthra serve on the Board of Directors of the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Fund. Their Monumental Women campaign will bring the first statue commemorating real women to New York City’s Central Park in 2020. We discuss the importance of honoring women and their contributions to society in public spaces.

Michael Faye is the president and co-founder of GiveDirectly, an organization that sends cash directly to people living in extreme poverty. We discuss why we should use cash as a new benchmark for international aid, unpack false assumptions about decision-making, and examine the benefits of universal basic income.

Prioritizing individual needs is effective Humans largely make creative and wise decisions for themselves and their families. Despite a common belief to the contrary, the poor are good decision makers. Their track record in maximizing positive utility out of the funds they receive is better than aid organizations. Moreover, the freedom of choice provides dignity to the recipients. We need to empower more people with the agency to do what they consider best for themselves.

Cash as a new benchmark In theory, we can end poverty today. Over $140 billion in global aid money is spent per year, while the global poverty gap is now estimated to be about half that amount. The data has shown that cash transfers work. Now that we have mobile money and other digital financial tools that make direct cash transfers possible to a large number of people in remote areas, we should include cash as a benchmark in measuring the efficacy of aid programs.

The promise of universal basic income Universal basic income is a type of cash transfer that is given to everybody within a population and that covers basic needs, over a long period of time. It incentivizes work because the program is unconditional. Recipients can use the funds to supplement consumption, as investment to improve their homes, or as capital to increase income.

Find out more: Michael Faye is the co-founder and president of GiveDirectly, an organization that sends cash directly to people living in poverty and that works to reshape the way we think about international donations.

Michael Faye is the president and co-founder of GiveDirectly, an organization that sends cash directly to people living in extreme poverty. We discuss why we should use cash as a new benchmark for international aid, unpack false assumptions about decision-making, and examine the benefits of universal basic income.

Maria Yuan is the founder of Issue Voter, an organization whose mission is to make civic engagement accessible, efficient, and impactful. We talk about the importance of being informed on the bills before Congress, communicating your priorities and opinions to your representative, and understanding whether your rep is truly representing you.

Our voice matters One of the benefits of living in a democracy is making our voices heard. In fact, representatives keep track of constituent contact in order to better understand how their community prioritizes issues. They also appreciate expanding their communication beyond the actively engaged core constituents. Technology enables voters to have efficient and impactful communication with their representatives.

Transparency Today's technology helps us track how representatives vote, so we know if they are truly representing us. Based on a representative's legislative voting record, we can make an educated decision on whether to re-elect our representatives or vote them out of office. When voters are aware and engaged, outside money doesn't have as much of an influence in keeping incumbents in power.

Better-informed citizens are better voters Over 10,000 bills are introduced in one session of Congress, which means that we don't hear about most them. The more we inform ourselves, the more we will be able to engage on issues beyond the ones featured in the news, understand the various perspectives, and then vote knowledgeably.

Find out more: Maria Yuan is the founder of Issue Voter, an organization whose mission is to give everyone an equal voice in our democracy by making civic engagement accessible, efficient, and impactful.

Maria Yuan is the founder of Issue Voter, an organization whose mission is to make civic engagement accessible, efficient, and impactful. We talk about the importance of being informed on the bills before Congress, communicating your priorities and opinions to your representative, and understanding whether your rep is truly representing you.

Rachel Leyland and Kendra Abel are public school teachers in Oklahoma City who participated in the walkout in April of 2018. We discuss how the walkout shed light on the problems caused by chronic underfunding of public education, the power of standing together to demand change, and the importance of supporting pro-education candidates for office.

Support for Public Education Bolsters Democracy Chronic underfunding and continued cuts to public education have grave consequences. In Oklahoma, teachers and parents are supplementing educational programs out of their own pockets in order to level the playing field with education in other states. Teachers are underpaid and are forced to take second jobs, or even leave the state for better pay.

Our Humanity A good education transforms lives. Our humanity is at stake when we forsake the future of our children. We need to teach them to have critical thinking skills, a vision for a better tomorrow, the tools to participate in our democracy, and an innate understanding that their voice is important. What we do today will affect us for generations to come.

The Power of Civic Action The teacher walkout in Oklahoma raised awareness on the issues facing public education, ranging from large class sizes to hostile state representatives. The public now understands how meager the education budget is and what that means, as well as how their elected representatives have voted on education. Oklahomans are now engaged in an open conversation about how to improve public education.

Find out more: Rachel Leyland and Kendra Abel are both teachers in the Oklahoma City Public School system. They participated in the teachers' walkout that took place in Oklahoma in April of 2018. They continue to be involved with this issue through the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the OKCPS Board of Education.

Rachel Leyland and Kendra Abel are public school teachers in Oklahoma City who participated in the walkout in April of 2018. We discuss how the walkout shed light on the problems caused by chronic underfunding of public education, the power of standing together to demand change, and the importance of supporting pro-education candidates for office.

Scott Warren is the CEO and co-founder of Generation Citizen, an organization that works to ensure students in the United States receive an effective civics education. We talk about the unique power of political action to bring about change and the need to teach our youngest generations how to be active participants in our democracy.

Political action is still king All of the important issues that affect our daily lives touch the government in some way. Politics is a powerful agent for systemic change within government. The more frustrated we are, the more imperative it becomes to participate.

The problems in our democracy run deep One of the most reliable predictors of voting behavior is income: the participation rate is 80% at $80,000 or more, and only 40% at $40,000. We need to invest in teaching all citizens, and especially young people, their rights and responsibilities in a democracy.

Action Civics is an essential part of the answer Action-oriented civics education in school should be prioritized like STEM subjects. Without the knowledge and practice, we cannot expect the population to be engaged. Students should learn by doing in the classroom: identifying an issue they care about, devising a plan of action, and following through with elected officials.

Find out more: Scott Warren is the CEO and co-founder of Generation Citizen, an organization that works to bring civics education to middle and high schoolers in the US.

Scott Warren is the CEO and co-founder of Generation Citizen, an organization that works to ensure students in the United States receive an effective civics education. We talk about the unique power of political action to bring about change and the need to teach our youngest generations how to be active participants in our democracy.

Brent Wilkes is the former CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and a lifelong advocate for Latino rights. We discuss what fair and comprehensive immigration could be, the positive impact of immigrant labor in the US economy, and how we can demand sound immigration policy at the ballot box.

Our economy depends on immigrant labor

Immigrants are doing some of the hardest jobs in America for the lowest amount of pay, such as producing food, building houses, and providing care. Labor abuse is common with undocumented workers, as their status makes them particularly vulnerable. Providing a path to legalization for these individuals is the least we can do.

Comprehensive immigration reform

The goal is to help out-of-status residents, those who work hard and contribute to the economy, to get right with the law. Three major focus areas are: the Dreamers, children who were brought to the US by their parents as minors; the agricultural sector, which produces major exports to the rest of the world and is a traditional employer of immigrants; and the rest are laborers in other industries, such as care giving or construction.

Voter turnout is the answer

Immigrants have historically come to America from all over the world to pursue their dreams. We need to remember that our ancestors were once immigrants too, and be more welcoming to those who are pursuing the American dream today. The best way to win on immigration and encourage people to vote is to raise awareness, talk to people who are different than you, and show them that they are included in the process.

Find out more: Brent Wilkes is the former CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). He was recently given the Lifetime Achievement, Excellence in Community Service Award by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.