Democratic Renewal Book - 2008
A Call to Action from America’s Heartland
Midwest reform groups sound alarms about serious flaws in state political systems
Efforts underway in five Great Lakes states to repair damage, restore public trust
CHICAGO – A new book released today finds that five key Midwestern states with significantly different political histories and political cultures all have something in common: democracies that are in serious trouble.
“Democratic Renewal: A Call to Action from America’s Heartland” assesses how the political systems in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin are performing. The book also documents reform efforts that are underway in each state and lays out a roadmap for solving a host of problems related to campaign finance, redistricting, election administration, judicial elections and conduct, government ethics, and news media coverage of politics.
As several state governments grapple with issues such as health care, transportation and job creation, the authors’ stress that it is nearly impossible to make progress on “bread and butter” issues until fundamental reforms are enacted that make government more accountable and responsive.
Edited by Kent Redfield, professor of political studies and public policy at the University of Illinois at Springfield, the book is being issued under the banner of the recently created Midwest Democracy Network (MDN), a nonpartisan alliance of public interest groups dedicated to strengthening democratic institutions and practices. “Democratic Renewal” represents a landmark analysis of multiple political systems and the larger, troubling political landscape in which they now operate.
The five Midwestern states examined in the book provide an ideal setting for a study of this magnitude that translates well across the country. The region has served as a battleground in recent presidential and congressional elections, encompasses a good mix of urban, suburban and rural areas, and is home to more than 40 million people.
Download the book:
Democratic Renewal: A Call to Action from America’s Heartland
Download state summaries and news releases:
Illinois Summary | Illinois News Release
Michigan Summary | Michigan News Release
Minnesota Summary | Minnesota News Release
Ohio Summary | Ohio News Release
Wisconsin Summary | Wisconsin News Release
“Democracy is not ‘set it and forget it.’ An ongoing commitment is required to guarantee a flourishing democracy both in our respective states and nationally,” Redfield said. “To thrive, our democratic institutions need constant reinforcement, careful stewardship, thoughtful debate and citizen participation.”
The book includes chapters providing in-depth analysis for each of the five states, authored by advocates in those states.
“This book tells a series of disturbing stories about governments that have lost their focus and purpose,” said Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and MDN spokesperson. “But it also tells of a revival of democratic ideals. It shows that there is a will and a way to reform. And it shows that important steps in this direction have been taken, although there is still undeniably a long way to go.
Over the past decade, the authors argue, the five fractured and often dysfunctional political systems examined in “Democratic Renewal” have negatively affected public policy and produced growing citizen alienation. For example, the authors explore:
> How weak campaign finance laws and “pay to play” practices across the region– but especially in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin – have led to numerous high-profile federal and state corruption investigations and the eventual convictions of elected officials, other public employees, state contractors, and campaign donors.
> How gerrymandering and manipulations of decennial redistricting processes within the region have sharply reduced competition in state legislative elections, deprived many voters of meaningful candidate choices at election time, and heightened both partisanship and gridlock within state government.
> How efforts by financially powerful and ideological interest groups to influence the election of state judges – particularly recent state supreme court races in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin – have led to dramatic increases in campaign spending, growing concerns about judges’ potential conflicts of interest, and eroding public confidence in the judiciary’s independence and impartiality.
> How serious and repeated breakdowns in the machinery and administration of elections, most notably in Ohio, and partisan efforts in other states to either discourage or make voting unnecessarily burdensome have raised serious concerns about voting rights and the reliability of election results.
> How the goal of informed citizen participation in the political process has been disserved by the failure of the region’s local television broadcasters to provide viewers with the high quality, in depth news coverage of elections, government and public affairs they need and deserve.
“The picture emerging from this book is neither pretty nor inspiring, especially when all the findings are weighed,” Redfield said. “There is a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to waste.”
The authors offer comprehensive democracy reform agendas designed to address the most pressing challenges facing the five states. Although the state agendas vary, common items include:
> Major overhauls of the states’ campaign finance laws
> The creation of independent redistricting commissions
> The transfer of elections administration responsibilities to nonpartisan and professional agencies
> Voluntary public financing of state supreme court elections
> Enhanced public disclosure of the economic and financial interests of high-ranking elected and appointed public officials
> Mandatory cooling-off periods between lawmaking and lobbying
> Enhanced disclosure of the activities of registered lobbyists
> More consistent and vigorous enforcement of the states’ freedom of information and open meetings laws.
The MDN, established in late 2006, consists of both state-based reform advocacy organizations and national research and policy institutions. Nearly 30 organizations are affiliated with MDN. An overview of MDN projects and highlights can be found at www.midwestdemocracynetwork.org.
The entire book, “Democratic Renewal: A Call to Action from America’s Heartland,” along with summaries of the authors’ state-specific findings and reform recommendations can also be found at www.midwestdemocracynetwork.org.
Individual State Contacts:
Following are media contacts in the individual states for follow-up.
Illinois
Cindi Canary
Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
Phone: 312-335-1767
Michigan
Rich Robinson
Michigan Campaign Finance Network
Phone: 517-482-7198
Minnesota
Dan McGrath
Take Action Minnesota
Phone: 651-641-6199
Ohio
Catherine Turcer
Ohio Citizen Action
Phone: 614-487-7880
Wisconsin
Mike McCabe
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
Phone: 608-255-4260
