Education & Advocacy: Committee Introduction

Welcome to the Education and Advocacy section of Democracy Matters! In this section, we will be exploring various topics related to the promotion of democracy and civic engagement. We believe that an informed and active citizenry is vital to the health of any democratic society, and our goal is to provide resources and tools to help individuals become more engaged in the political process.

Through this section, we will be sharing articles, lesson plans, and other educational materials on a range of issues, from voting and elections to campaign finance reform and civil rights. We will also be highlighting the work of advocacy groups and individuals who are working to strengthen democracy and promote social justice.

We hope that you will find these resources useful and informative, and that they will inspire you to take an active role in shaping the future of your community and your country. Thank you for joining us on this journey!

This post and blog were curated and posted by Co-Directors of Education & Advocacy Elizabeth Hahn & Lilly Roberson

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The Good & Bad of Straight Ticket Voting

Voting – especially in our current political climate – can be stressful. Oftentimes, voters can feel overwhelmed standing at the voting booth making a decision candidate by candidate, for many, it is easier to straight party vote. While straight-party voting is only an option in seven states; Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Nevada, it is often seen as the ‘easy way out’. By checking one box, you are able to cast your ballot for every candidate of your chosen political party. This does not typically allow for the consideration of third-party candidates and does not encourage voters to be familiar with or educated on each candidate or state question prior to heading to the polls. During his time as the United States' first President, George Washington was quick to warn citizens against party loyalty, now, nearly 27.2 million registered voters in America have the option to do just that, should they decide to go vote. There are a variety of views re...

Why You Should Care About Moore v. Harper

So you may be wondering, what is Moore v. Harper? This groundbreaking case has been going on for over a year now, and when its final verdict comes out this year, it will have major implications for voting rights for many Americans. In 2021, the Republican-led North Carolina state legislature passed a bill that gerrymanders districts to create a state supermajority for their 14 seats. The map gives the Republicans a 99.9% chance of retaining their majority. The state voters were very unhappy with this and decided to contest this map in state courts, as there was a Supreme Court precedent that stated that federal courts cannot hear partisan gerrymandering cases. They contended that this map violated the North Carolina state constitution’s free election clause. At the time, the North Carolina Supreme Court had a Democrat majority within their elected court. The North Carolina Supreme Court agreed with the voters and struck down the map stating that it was an “egregious and intentional par...

The current state of our elections and politics

The current state of our elections and politics Our election system is completely flawed. It doesn't help our country; rather it makes it more anti-democratic. What makes matters worse is that the U.S. population isn't even educated about the process or how our elections and government work. Nearly a third of Americans cannot name any of the three branches of government, according to a survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Today, it may seem impossible to imagine the United States government without its two leading political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. These same parties were originally feared by the founding fathers, and now they control the course of our country. Alexander Hamilton stated that political parties were “the most fatal disease of popular governments”. Despite their warnings, our nation has evolved into a two-party system that controls our elections. People in America want more options to voice their vote, but sadly there aren...

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