Democracy Happy Hour – July 14, 2021

Topic for July 14, 2021: Oligarchy vs Democracy.

Upcoming Topics:

o   07/21/21 – Anti-Corruption & Accountability in Government

o   07/28/21 – Fair & Impartial Courts: How do we get there?

Democracy Happy Hour, July 14, 2021 - Meeting Recordings & Chat:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/TLUmN1Qq1bWjJ1jdBBfjFtXCuNMUfALHyAjec4IdbZmyaVP9PDDIJNsUIT4gFvYl-SRKVUWP6jkZ2-nC.hRqO9HF04Is-jdRh

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/VnUU3n7sf68yVWGJO1DDPmNPC0rrL8JvHYPrz2QHre7n3fR0aI6sjlpBHFw1CaHEr5GK4MXbj-gSyWWH.uHaeIZZANtCbMDqs

• Chat (Link will download a text file to you computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/s6K_qyYds3DsP8q67a5AZBHo7xJKE4XVv0EnYqMSc7ooS1Wgd2calVAAdYYGvIxYjVCiww8bGfE9-c4.GQJDEuMevpMB_lK2

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:‍

• If you don’t know the indigenous land where you reside on, you can look it up here: Interactive Map Reveals Which Indigenous Lands You’re Living On - Native Land - https://native-land.ca/

·      WA Register to Vote or Update Registration Online - Deadline is July 26th for August 3rd Primary– (You can still update your registration or register to vote in person up until 8 pm on Aug 3rd) - https://voter.votewa.gov/WhereToVote.aspx

·      For The People Act: Quick Start Guide - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v3Z0o28CmGwCatyh7zImOZ6p6jm4KChsz4c2ACBH7dg/

·      ACTIONS you can take to support the For the People Act &  John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act:

o   Sign-up to Commit to Action: https://forms.gle/KoBxpCEYHTJDmB1a9

o   Call Your Senator - 1.888.453.3211 - The U.S. Senate must make passing the For the People Act (S. 1/H.R. 1) & the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act are top priorities. Let them know the American people are tired of a government that serves only the wealthy and corporate interests. Here's a fun video to show you how: How to Call a Senator - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kasuOxGbwGc

o   S1 PHONE BANKING - Sign up to phone back to key states with Common Cause. -https://www.mobilize.us/commoncause/event/376178/

o   Letter To the Editor DRIVE - Use this LTE tool to submit a letter to their local newspapers. - https://dfadcoalition.org/lte/

o   Sign this Petition - Demand the Senate pass the For the People Act and rebuild our democracy! - https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-and-send-the-petition-demand-the-senate-pass-the-for-the-people-act-and-rebuild-our-democracy?source=direct_link&referrer=group-fixdemocracyfirst

o   If you missed it, check out our Deadline for Democracy WA State Virtual Rally held on July 10, 2021. - https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/IL94Ku3JtsWnKuyJXr9B3er_g8gwsw7AgDTwxjPYbiLQ-dVsKFWXzWajsUB2lNTw6oWW7lYOzsUKm6Sw.LczWUOkUkzTYT0Tz

·      Social Justice Film Institute – A Discussion of Voting Rights and the Films on July 16th – Recording available starting @ 1 pm PT - Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote & Suppressed 2021: The War on Democracy by Brave New Films – Register @ https://socialjusticefilmfestival.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e0e4e6f2e5e2c92c9879ba1b2&id=2c0feeae60

o   Panelists include:

§  Moderator: Cindy Black, Executive Director of Fix Democracy First

§  Giovanni Severino, Lead Policy Organizer of the Latino Community Fund

§  Breanne Schuster, Staff Attorney at ACLU – Washington

·      Good Trouble Vigils for Democracy, Saturday, July 17th – In honor of John Lewis – These vigils will be held on the anniversary of his death one year ago - https://goodtroublevigil.org/

·      WA Redistricting Links:

o   Redistricting Justice for WA - https://www.redistrictingjusticewa.org/

§  RJW Redistricting Outreach Hearing Signup - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdIk3YIJ-Mm1P8nvkLwJ-QwuS33pju7m2YqEi85ymEVcUiWw/viewform

o   WA State Redistricting Commission - https://www.redistricting.wa.gov/

o   Upcoming WA Redistricting Hearings in July:

§  1st & 2nd CD: July 24, 10am–12pm

·      1st CD includes parts of Legislative Districts (LDs) 1, 5, 10, 39, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48, and a small portion of LD 40.

·      2nd CD includes all of Legislative Districts (LD) 38, most of LDs 10 and 40 and parts of LDs 1, 21, 32, 38, 39, 42, 44.

§  4th & 5th CD: July 24, 1–3pm

·      4th CD includes all of Legislative Districts (LDs) 8 and 15 and parts of LDs 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 16.

·      5th CD includes all of Legislative Districts (LDs) 3, 4, and 6 and parts of LDs 7, 9, 13, and 16.

§  3rd & 6th CD: July 26, 7–9pm

·      3rd Congressional includes all of Legislative Districts( LDs) 17, 18, 49, most of LD 20, and parts of LDs 2, 14, and 19.

·      6th CD includes all of Legislative Districts (LDs) 23, 24,and 26 and parts of LDs 19, 27, 28, 29, and 35.

§  7th & 9th CD: July 31, 10am–12pm

·      7th CD includes all of Legislative Districts (LDs) 34, 36, and 43 and parts of LDs 11, 21, 32, 33, 46.

·      9th CD includes most of Legislative Districts (LDs) 11, 33, 37, and 41 and parts of LDs 5, 27, 30, 47, and 48.

§  8th & 10th CD: July 31, 1–3pm

·      8th CD includes parts of Legislative Districts 2, 5, 11,12, 13, 25, 28, 30, 31, 33, 41, 45 and 47.

·      CD includes all of Legislative District (LD) 22, most of LDs 25 and 28, and parts of LDs 2, 20, 27, 29, 31, and 35.

Democracy in the News Links:

Restoring the Voting Rights Act after Brnovich and Shelby County - Senate Subcommittee hearing today fascinating (on Voting Rights).  Can see video: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/restoring-the-voting-rights-act-after-brnovich-and-shelby-county

Does Trump have a legitimate First Amendment case? - https://thefulcrum.us/big-picture/trumps-lawsuits

The Republican Party’s top lawyer called election fraud arguments by Trump’s lawyers a ‘joke’ that could mislead millions - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rnc-trump-stop-the-steal/2021/07/12/79e58a02-e320-11eb-934f-7e6c1927f261_story.html

Barr shoots down former prosecutor’s election-fraud claims - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/13/barr-election-fraud-claims-499519

Biden warns that American democracy is under threat — a message targeting many in his own party - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/07/13/biden-warns-that-american-democracy-is-under-threat-a-message-targeting-many-his-own-party/

Remarks by President Biden on Protecting the Sacred, Constitutional Right to Vote - https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/13/remarks-by-president-biden-on-protecting-the-sacred-constitutional-right-to-vote/

Voting rights advocates press Biden to do more than deliver speeches - https://thefulcrum.us/voting/biden-voting-rights-speech

Texas Republicans Reveal Bills of Far-Reaching Voting Restrictions - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/08/us/politics/texas-voting-bill-restrictions.html

Inside the secret plan for the Texas Democratic exodus: A phone tree, a scramble to pack and a politically perilous trip - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-democrats-voting-exodus/2021/07/13/f391dc9e-e3ce-11eb-a41e-c8442c213fa8_story.html

Texas Lawmakers, Dueling 1,300 Miles Apart, Map Out Next Voting Moves - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/us/politics/texas-voting-rights-democrats.html

Texas House Votes To Send For Democrats Who Fled The State — And Have Them Arrested If Needed - https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2021-07-13/texas-house-votes-to-send-for-democrats-who-fled-the-state-and-have-them-arrested-if-needed

A federal judge declines, for now, to block parts of Georgia’s voting law. - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-judge-ruling.html

Massachusetts Republicans are trying to put a voter ID law on the 2022 ballot. Here’s what we know so far. - https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2021/07/07/massachusetts-voter-id-ballot-question-2022/

Plot Thickens: Vote Counts Don't Match in Maricopa County 2020 Election Audit, Arizona GOP Claims - https://sputniknews.com/us/202107141083385741-plot-thickens-vote-counts-dont-match-in-maricopa-county-2020-election-audit-arizona-gop-claims/

Back-and-forth continues over possible audit of 2020 election results in Pennsylvania - https://www.wgal.com/article/back-and-forth-continues-over-possible-audit-of-2020-election-results-in-pennsylvania/37000265#

Partisan Election Review Efforts in Five States - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/partisan-election-review-efforts-five-states

The 13 states limiting voting access under the radar - https://thefulcrum.us/voting/state-voting-restrictions

Native voters are clearing hurdles. That’s why some politicians want to make them higher. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/09/native-american-voters-arizona-supreme-court-discriminatory/

The community that may be hurt most by Republican voter restrictions: Americans with disabilities - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/13/community-that-may-be-hurt-most-by-republican-voter-restrictions-americans-with-disabilities/

Biden administration looks for voting rights path around Congress - https://www.rollcall.com/2021/07/09/09votes/

Top Biden ally pleads with him to scrap filibuster for election reform - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/10/clyburn-biden-filibuster-election-reform-499051

House Democrats tell Senate: exempt voting rights bill from filibuster - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/13/house-democrats-senate-filibuster-exception-voting-rights

National Business Group Calls for Senate Filibuster Reform - https://www.asbcouncil.org/media-release/national-business-group-calls-senate-filibuster-reform

Democrats craft voting bill with eye on Supreme Court fight - https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-supreme-courts-courts-voting-race-and-ethnicity-4fc2deafafca64248dad4dfceaf7a05d

The Biggest Threat to Democracy Is the GOP Stealing the Next Election - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/07/democracy-could-die-2024/619390/

Evidence from the 2020 election shows how to close the income voting divide - https://equitablegrowth.org/evidence-from-the-2020-election-shows-how-to-close-the-income-voting-divide/

New Laws Let Americans With Disabilities Vote Online. They’ve Also Resurrected The Debate About Voting Access vs. Election Security. - https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/new-laws-let-americans-with-disabilities-vote-online-theyve-also-resurrected-the-debate-about-voting-access-vs-election-security/

Watchdog Group Calls For Supreme Court Ethics Code Amid Conflict Of Interest Fears - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-ethics-code-amy-coney-barett_n_60e7ccebe4b04c901258ff41

Should the Supreme Court have term limits? - https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2021/07/11/should-the-supreme-court-have-term-limits/

Four States Start Inquiries Into Recurring Donation Tactics of Both Parties - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/08/us/politics/prechecked-boxes-donations-winred-act-blue.html

Dark money fights dark money - https://www.axios.com/dark-money-fights-dark-money-57202ef7-5b1a-4fbf-aee6-118fef12f256.html

Supreme Court's ruling on disclosing charitable contributions could leak into campaign finance law - https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Supreme-Court-s-ruling-on-disclosing-charitable-16309746.php

CEOs of top lobbying spenders meet up at Sun Valley for annual retreat - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/07/ceos-top-lobbying-spenders-sun-valley-retreat/

Everyone Wants Health Care Reform. Industry Lobbying Won’t Let Them Have It. - https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/07/health-care-reform-biden-administration-industry-lobbying

Sixty years of climate change warnings: the signs that were missed (and ignored) - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jul/05/sixty-years-of-climate-change-warnings-the-signs-that-were-missed-and-ignored

Ranked-choice voting worked in New York. More places should use it. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/07/eric-adams-new-york-mayor-ranked-choice-voting-worked/

Sorry, haters: Ranked-choice voting produced the most diverse city council in NYC history - https://www.salon.com/2021/07/09/ranked-choice-voting-produced-the-most-diverse-city-council-in-nyc-history/

Ranked-choice voting expands in Utah this year. See if your city is doing it. - https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2021/07/08/ranked-choice-voting/

With deadlines looming, King County hits pause on push for ranked choice voting - https://mynorthwest.com/3030127/king-county-delays-push-ranked-choice-voting/

Our founders believed civic education and historical knowledge would prevent tyranny – and foster democracy - https://thefulcrum.us/civic-ed/civic-education-2653733364

Recent Navigator Polling on For the People Act - https://navigatorresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Navigator-Update-07.13.2021.pdf

‍

Oligarchy vs Democracy Links:

Oligarchy – Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligarchy

What Is an Oligarchy? - https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-an-oligarchy-pros-cons-examples-3305591

Is the U.S. a democracy or an oligarchy? - https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-10-31/Is-the-U-S-a-democracy-or-an-oligarchy--V0RcQhVQ7S/index.html

Oligarchy Countries, With Examples From History and Today - https://www.thebalance.com/oligarchy-countries-list-who-s-involved-and-history-3305590

For Ancient Greeks Our Modern Democracy is an Oligarchy - https://greekreporter.com/2021/06/03/for-ancient-greeks-our-modern-democracy-is-oligarchy/

United States—Democracy or Oligarchy? - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/000271623316900118?journalCode=anna

Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy - https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746

Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B

It's Legal to Buy Political Influence in America. Let's Make it Illegal - https://steemit.com/politics/@lancem/proof-the-american-government-doesn-t-care-what-you-think-and-the-solution-the-american-anti-corruption-act-needs-your-support

The U.S. is an Oligarchy? The Research, Explained - https://bulletin.represent.us/u-s-oligarchy-explain-research/

America's Real Divide Isn't Left vs. Right. It's Democracy vs. Oligarchy. - https://prospect.org/economy/america-s-real-divide-left-vs.-right.-democracy-vs.-oligarchy./

The Oligarchs’ Revenge - The making of the modern right. - https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/heather-cox-richardson-how-south-won-civil-war-review/

Historical Roots of Polarization: Democracy or Oligarchy? - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moral-landscapes/202010/historical-roots-polarization-democracy-or-oligarchy

How the South Won the Civil War - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/how-the-south-won-the-civil-war

Nancy MacLean video - The Rise of the Radical Right - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCb38QC4ofU