League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Wonder is not a Pollyanna stance, not a denial of reality; wonder is an acknowledgement of the power of the mind to transform. Christina Baldwin Song “Seven Wonders,” by David Roth, used by permission. Visit David Roth website. Photos by Sharon Frank Wichman, Lynn Ogden-Perrine, Nathan Foster, Barb Beers, Annalivia Ford, Shelly LaRock, Katherine Murphy Video created by Liz Stewart Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County Building Resilient Communities 1/12/18 September 2018 LWV of Clark County Civics is Fundamental Project Civics 101 Building Resilient Communities Thank you for coming! Name, Rank, and Serial Number In this series we hope to begin ongoing conversations about creating and increasing civic engagement in our community. Tonight’s session focuses on four topics: What is civics/what does it mean to be a good citizen/neighbor? Overview of our governmental structures. A look at voting and turnout. Katherine Murphy LWVCC Vice President & LWVWA Secretary Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy. League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 League of Women Voters Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy. We envision a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge, and the confidence to participate. We are nonpartisan; we never endorse or oppose candidates or parties. We are political. If, after careful study, we come to consensus about an issue, then we take a position and advocate for it. Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 The State We’re In: Washington Your guide to state, tribal, & local government Civics is Fundamental

Civics Education Bill HB1896 League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civics Education Bill HB1896 Restore Social Studies in Elementary Classrooms Embed Inquiry into K-12 Social Studies Courses Develop Models for a required Stand-Alone, High School Civics Course Create and deliver state-funded professional development for all K-5 teachers and all secondary social studies teachers Civics is Fundamental

Participate in the Life of Your Community League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Participate in the Life of Your Community All of these activities give us practice in working together to achieve a common goal. Volunteering Playing team sports Singing in a choir Mentoring a friend, neighbor, coworker, stranger Helping people in need Smiling while standing on line Running for office Attending community events Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civics is Fundamental

Civic Engagement Stories Help Build Community League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civic Engagement Stories Help Build Community Name Did your family discuss politics and vote? What community or civic activities did you do with your family, school, church, team… when you were growing up? Did you follow this example as an adult or rebel? Civics is Fundamental

Don’t Feel You Have to Know Everything! League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Don’t Feel You Have to Know Everything! Make sure you understand the basic ideas and principles of democracy. You can always look up the details! The State We’re In: Washington Crash Course: Government & Politics USCIS Citizenship Resource Center Washington Secretary of State Office Civics Education was not required to be included before 2009. In 2018, new Civics bill requires one semester of Civics to graduate from high school. And it pays for professional development for teachers. The “gap” in Civics knowledge has led to many people not understanding why civic engagement is critical. I’m going to cover the highlights of our governments’ structures today AND there will not be a test. The first thing I learned when I joined League was about the Centennial Accord between the State of Washington & the 29 federally recognized tribes. Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Since Time Immemorial Traditionally tribal used a consensus model. The Centennial Accord in August 1989. In 2015, school districts began integrating the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State curriculum into all history/social studies. Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) also has impressive curriculum at the Native Knowledge 360 site. Watch Cowlitz Indian’s The Ilani Story video. Civics is Fundamental

Think About the Common Good & Individual Liberty League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Think About the Common Good & Individual Liberty Finding the right balance between what’s good for each of us and what’s good for all of us. Rule of Law Separation of Powers Bill of Rights Federalism Majority Rule and Minority Rights Founders combined idealism… All men are created equal Right to life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness A cornerstone of American government is the idea of having a “government of laws rather than a government of men.” The laws are intended to apply to everyone equally and all the government’s power is limited to what the law says it can do. With a pragmatic view of human frailty… Three branches of government—share power Rights not enumerated left to the states—local control Checks & balances—guards against tyrants The importance of democratic institutions—art of the possible And they enshrined their century’s biases while leaving future leaders ways to change the constitution over time Democracy depends on our respect for the institution We must understand and participate for it to work Balance that the ultimate power is vested in the people (50%+1 = election) with the rule of law. This rule safeguards minority rights by stating that all citizens have the same rights and the Courts can strike down laws it they violate those rights. Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Government and its officials are subordinate to the law. Citizens are actively engaged in making the laws that govern them by consent or direct involvement The laws are fairly and equally applied to everyone to protect individual freedom Citizens agree among themselves to obey the laws for the protection of all An independent judiciary provides for equitable and impartial access to justice Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Government and its officials are subordinate to the law. Citizens are actively engaged in making the laws that govern them by consent or direct involvement The laws are fairly and equally applied to everyone to protect individual freedom Citizens agree among themselves to obey the laws for the protection of all An independent judiciary provides for equitable and impartial access to justice Civics is Fundamental

Dual vs. Cooperative Federalism League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Dual vs. Cooperative Federalism Power divided between the national (federal government) and the states. From 1789 till the mid 1937, we operated under primarily dual federalism where Federal government jurisdiction over internal projects like roads that cross state lines, mail, treaties, tariffs, and war, currency, patents, public lands, State governments control property laws, marriage laws, inheritance laws, commercial laws, insurance, family laws, public health, criminal, land use—mineral & water rights, licenses (for everything), insurance, banking, and elections After the new deal legislation in 1937, we moved to a new, more complex system called cooperative federalism where the federal government—using a variety of mechanisms—block grants, mandates, funded and unfunded, and regulations. Examples of these are EPA, OSHA, Civil Rights, Disability Rights, infrastructure projects Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 The Right to Vote Not explicitly included in the Constitution Has changed dramatically since 1789 Is managed by over 7,000 county or other local jurisdictions See We the Voters: So You Think You Can Vote? Civics is Fundamental

Voter Participation in Washington League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Voter Participation in Washington Year % of Eligible Registered (Est.) % of Registered Voting % of Eligible Voting Presidential 1952 90.81% 80.17% 72.80% 2000 76.37% 75.46% 57.62% 2008 72.45% 84.61% 61.30% 2016 76.83% 78.76% 60.77% Mid-Term 1958 80.73% 71.15% 57.44% 2002 71.03 56.35% 40.02% 2010 69.93% 71.24% 49.82% 2014 72.95% 54.16% 39.51% 2018 Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Clark County Turnout Election Year Primary Turnout General Turnout 2018 36.03% Why we are here 2017 19.93% 30.89% 2016 30.62% 77.25% 2014 28.61% 54.16% 2010 38.99% 71.24% Civics is Fundamental

Cowlitz County Turnout League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Cowlitz County Turnout Election Year Primary Turnout General Turnout 2018 40.48% Why we are here 2017 20.23% 36.35% 2016 32,36% 75.47% 2014 32.81% 55.16% 2010 39.65% 68.37% Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 "The State We're In: Washington" by LWVWA Education Fund is licensed under  CC BY-NC 4.0; art by MWillowsIllustration Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 "The State We're In: Washington" by LWVWA Education Fund is licensed under  CC BY-NC 4.0; art by MWillowsIllustration Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 "The State We're In: Washington" by LWVWA Education Fund is licensed under  CC BY-NC 4.0; art by MWillowsIllustration Civics is Fundamental

Get to Know Your Neighbors League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Get to Know Your Neighbors Because building safe, healthy communities where people look after each other begins at home—YOUR home and your neighbors’ homes. About Clark County Neighborhood Associations City of Vancouver Office of Neighborhoods City of Camas Neighborhoods Social media—Nextdoor Emergency Preparedness Guide Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Sally the Steelhead "The State We're In: Washington" by LWVWA Education Fund is licensed under  CC BY-NC 4.0; art by MWillowsIllustration Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Learn Science In the 21st century, scientific discoveries will change our world in ways we can’t yet understand. To make sure these changes benefit all of us, we will need citizens who understand science and can govern the way we use it. Neuroscience, experimental psychology, sports medicine, and epigenetics offer insights into why and how we make choices. Visit Outsmarting Human Minds, “The Universe Inside” Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County 1/12/18 Science Offers Clues Image by Rosa Sheng, AIA. Found in “Confronting Implicit Bias: A Remedy for the Public Health of Racism?” by Temi Omilabu, Medium, 10/16/17. Civics is Fundamental

What Makes Voting Difficult? League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 What Makes Voting Difficult? “A leader is anyone willing to help, anyone who sees something that needs to change and takes the first steps to influence that situation.” --Meg Wheatley Civics is Fundamental

Preview of Coming Attractions League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Preview of Coming Attractions Complete the survey at : https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FLGQRHQ Consider the Political Spectrum—agree? Visit The Political Compass to see where you fit in their economic/social two-axis chart Begin filling out the Time to Vote Worksheet Make a list of your favorite media sources and bring it with you next time. Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 "The State We're In: Washington" by LWVWA Education Fund is licensed under  CC BY-NC 4.0; art by Leslie Hoge Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civics is Fundamental

League of Women Voters of Clark County September 2018 Civics is Fundamental