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Civic Ed
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Final regional bracket reaches the Final Four
May 25 2020
Two mini upsets in the Elite Eight created a couple of mismatched pairings in the Final Four of the Democracy Madness "Best of the Rest" division.
Always using paper ballots (No. 1), the top priority of election security experts, is taking on the concept of creating an ethics code for the Supreme Court (No. 5). The fifth seed destroyed the idea of statehood for Washington (No. 4) in the last round.
Could Congress' constant dysfunction have voters thinking it's a lost cause? The legislative branch had two chances to make it to the semifinals of this bracket, but both increasing Congress' capacity (No. 3) and having members spend more time on Capitol Hill (No. 7) got knocked out.
Instead the second seed, using federal funds for elections, will take on the sixth seed, increasing civics education.
Voting closes Tuesday evening, so make your choices now.
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Democracy Madness: Top-seeded 'best of the rest' dominate the last Elite Eight
May 21 2020
The top seven seeds have all made it through to the Elite Eight round in the "Best of the Rest" division of Democracy Madness — our tournament where readers are deciding which of 64 ideas for fixing the government they want most.
The only minor upset in the opening round of our final quarter: The notion of conducting more extensive audits of election results, our ninth seed, barely snuck past the idea of creating federal standards for all voting machines, slotted eighth.
Now it's time to whittle it down to four. The voting lasts until Sunday night.
<p>Will using nothing but paper ballots (No. 1) get by those post-election audits? Will providing a steady flow of federal funding for elections (No. 2) best a demand for Congress to spend more time in Washington (No. 7)? Does Congress need more capacity (No. 3) or should kids spend more time learning about civics (No. 6)? Want the District of Columbia to be the 51st state (No. 4) or a code of ethics for the Supreme Court (No. 5)?</p><p>These are the questions that await you in this round of the bracket. Which one will join the other three bracket champions who readers have already sent to the Democracy Madness Final Four?</p><p>Click "Vote Now" to make your four choices. (You can click the matchups, then each label, for more on the proposals.)</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"></div><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><script defer src="https://cdn.commoninja.com/sdk/latest/commonninja.js"></script><div class="commonninja_component" comp-id="af9104fc-da45-4a1e-81c8-d43f12c7e538" comp-type="bracket"></div></div>
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'Best of the Rest:' Democracy Madness reaches the draw's final quarter
May 18 2020
Over the past six week, readers of The Fulcrum have selected their top voting rights, election administration and money in politics reforms. Now it's time to kick off the final "region" in our Democracy Madness tournament.
We're calling it the "Best of the Rest," and we're inviting you to vote on a final group of 16 ideas for fixing the problems with our democracy's fairness and functionality. They range from proposals for enhancing election security to bolstering government ethics rules, and from the promotion of civic education to statehood for Washington, D.C.
<p>Checking in as the top seed is a national mandate for paper ballots in all elections. While this remains the biggest concern among those focused on securing elections against hackers, it has ceded the spotlight to vote-at-home efforts because of the coronavirus.</p><p>The second seed, creating a steady stream of federal election funding, covers both of those issues. Congress has appropriated $800 million to secure the 2020 elections and $400 million for making it safer and easier to cast a ballot during the pandemic. But these are both one-time payments, not the annualized outlays that states say they need in order to conduct elections properly.</p><p>To get to the regional finals, each of these will need to get through a number of other proposals -- each with its own merits. </p><p>First-round voting continues through Wednesday, with succeeding rounds taking place over the following week and a half. Two weeks from today, we'll kick off the Final Four. The winner of this region will then face the earlier winners: <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/ranked-choice-voting-democracy-madness" target="_self">ranked-choice voting</a>, the <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/national-popular-vote-interstate-compact" target="_self">National Popular Vote Interstate Compact</a> and <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/citizens-united-v-fec" target="_self">repealing Citizens United</a>. </p><p>Click the Vote Now button to make your eight selections. (You can click the matchups, then each label, for more about the proposals.)</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media cc_cursor"></div><div class="rm-embed embed-media cc_cursor"><script defer src="https://cdn.commoninja.com/sdk/latest/commonninja.js"></script><div class="commonninja_component" comp-id="af9104fc-da45-4a1e-81c8-d43f12c7e538" comp-type="bracket"></div></div>
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Kiersten Iwai
Meet the reformer: Kiersten Iwai, pushing civic engagement in Big Sky Country
May 15 2020
Originally from San Diego, Kiersten Iwai moved to Montana soon after graduating from college and in 2013 started organizing Sierra Club volunteers promoting green stewardship around Yellowstone National Park. While earning a master's in public policy and volunteering on a domestic abuse hotline, she then spent three years strategizing and social media messaging for the environmental advocacy group Stand.earth. (She also helped create Earthtone Outside MT, an association of non-white outdoor enthusiasts.) In October she started running the progressive advocacy group Forward Montana. Her answers have been edited for clarity and length.
What's the tweet-length description of your organization?
We build the political power of young people by making civic engagement fun and accessible to all Montanans. We are led by young people for young people, and we #giveashit.
<p><strong>Describe your very first civic engagement.</strong></p><p>My freshman year at Pacific University in Oregon, I started a petition to get composting in the dorms. It was an unsuccessful effort, but it started me down a path of activism.</p>
<p><strong>What was your biggest professional triumph?</strong></p><p>Landing this role at Forward Montana! I'm so excited to lead such an incredible organization with young badass leaders who are the funniest and most compassionate people you'll ever meet. Of course, life kind of sucks right now and I am so proud of my team for adapting and meeting the needs of our communities. Our future is at stake and I know that the resilience, creativity and integrity of young people will move us forward.</p>
<p><strong>And your most disappointing setback?</strong></p><p>Feeling burned out after a few years of environmental organizing, I reached a point where I felt very apathetic about the issues I was advocating for. I started dreading work and not even my favorite work activities could cheer me up. This led me to re-evaluate my priorities and develop self-confidence in my own beliefs and practices.</p>
<p><strong>How does your identity influence the way you go about your work?</strong></p><p>I don't think I fully became aware of how my identity intersects with my work until I moved here. Montana is one of those states where people introduce themselves by how long they and their family has lived there. Add on being a young Asian-American woman and you have a recipe for feeling like an outsider who may never belong.</p>
<p>At the same time, being a young woman of color is also one of my biggest strengths. There's a certain kind of resilience and passion that drives my work. I try to approach my work with the same compassion, collaboration and fairness that mirrors my vision for the world.</p>
<p><strong>What's the best advice you've ever been given?</strong></p><p>"When in doubt, point it out." Picture you're at the top of a mountain on skis and the only way out is down. Now you can stay paralyzed with fear on the top of the mountain, or you can trust yourself and "point it out." That is, point your skis down and go. Sometimes it doesn't make sense to keep debating options. At some point you just have to choose one and go for it. Stay committed and trust yourself.</p>
<p><strong>Create a new flavor for Ben & Jerry's.</strong></p><p>Democracy Decadence. It would include chocolate and coconut, and every 1 percent of proceeds would go to Forward Montana and other similar organizations.</p>
<p><strong>What is your favorite TV show or movie about politics?</strong></p><p>"Lemonade" by Beyonce.</p>
<p><strong>What's the last thing you do on your phone at night?</strong></p><p>Turn it off! I always turn my phone off before hopping into bed.</p>
<p><strong>What is your deepest, darkest secret?</strong></p><p>I have never seen "Friends." I just pretend like I know what's going on because, who hasn't seen "Friends"?</p>
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