(They should be for the electorate)
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Hi Friend,
In 2021, more money was spent on lobbying than ever before
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. $3.7billion to be precise.
Why so much?
Between the pandemic relief bill and the infrastructure deal, Congress had a
lot of money at their disposal. And every industry wanted to make sure they got
some of it.
But with $3.7B being spent on lobbying, who’s lobbying for you, the American
voter? Who makes sure that your interests are being heard in front of Congress?
It’s part of the reason that reforms that put voters first are so critical. At
the end of the day, corporations can’t vote. But you can. Reforms like ranked
choice voting and nonpartisan primaries make it so that your voice can be heard
more clearly.
Here are three things to think about this week:
Elections are for the elected — not the electorate.
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With practices like closed primaries, partisan gerrymandering, and rules and
laws that limit access to the ballot, it’s not a crazy idea to think that
elections may not serve voters at all. What if instead of serving the
electorate, they’re actually designed to serve the electeds? This is the
question that Eric Schulzke attempts to get to the bottom of this week in
Deseret News, interviewing everyone from Democracy Found’s Katherine Gehl to
our very own Executive Director, Nick Troiano, in the process.
In 2020, just 10% of voters elected 83% of Congress — a figure that’s
reflective of partisan gerrymandering and closed party primaries that limit who
and how people vote.If we want elected leaders who actually represent us, we
have to make sure it’s us, not self-interested politicians, who are calling the
shots.Final Four voting — the combination of nonpartisan primaries and ranked
choice voting that will be used in Alaska this summer — demonstrates how voters
can take their party back. Check outSchulzke’s piece here
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.
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Caustic cousins, pt II
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In a recent New York Times piece, gerrymandering was cited as a major way in
which the political parties were killing competition. Through the creation of
safe districts, politicians ensure victory for their parties, guaranteeing
themselves an easy victory.
Of course, that’s not the whole story. Rather than eliminating competition,
gerrymandering — in most states — limits who has asay in the races that are
competitive.Instead of competitive generals, with one red candidate and one
blue candidate, the race that’s actually competitive is the primary, where
candidates who are different shades of blue, or different shades of red, face
off. The practice of gerrymandering limits whose voice actually matters. In a
new blog, Unite America Democracy Scholar Richard Barton weighs in.Read his
thoughts here
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.
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Primary reform is sprouting in Missouri
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Finally, take a look at what’s happening in Missouri, where a new wave of
reformers are pushing for a ballot initiative that would establish ranked
choice voting and nonpartisan primaries — similar to the successful initiative
in Alaska. Led byBetter Elections Missouri <[link removed]>,
reformers want to ensure that every vote in every election matters.
Check out the incredible work the team in Missouri is doing, and learn more
about how you can get involved with theBetter Elections team by visiting their
website <[link removed]>.
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Brett
__
Brett Maney
Senior Communications Manager
Unite America
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