Every other week, GC picks out a selection of articles, videos, or podcasts that are relevant to our work and to the civic education space as a whole. This week we are focusing specifically on local news and issues in some of GC’s program regions. We at GC love to expand our learning in every aspect of what we do. We hope you enjoy our selections!
Californians Worry About Poverty, Income Inequality, Poll Finds, KQED News. This piece provides an interactive survey, conducted by California Counts Public Radio Collaboration, in which hundreds of voters and some nonvoters across California were asked how they feel about a range of economic issues, from home ownership and job security to wage disparity and upward mobility. The response data is reported in fascinating breakouts sorted by political party, gender, race and more. Read on to see where you’re responses would fall! September 12, 2016
Analysis: Pointing the Finger When It Comes to Low Texas Voter Turnout, Texas Tribune. Ross Ramsey in this piece takes on the policy barriers to voter turnout, arguing that it is time to, “Stop blaming the voters. Instead, blame the people who make it harder to vote”. Read on to see if you agree. September 12, 2016
6 Incumbent RI Lawmakers Defeated in Primaries, WPRI.com. The Rhode Island State Primaries were held on Tuesday, September 13 and the outcome resulted in six ousted incumbents, illustrating that RI voters are ready for change in their state legislature. According to the article, “there was no immediate estimate of voter turnout from the Board of Elections, but fewer than 61,000 votes were cast in the two races for U.S. House at the top of the Democratic primary ballot, which would put turnout at only about 8%, even lower than in 2012 and 2008.” September 14, 2016
Seddio Re-Elected Democratic County Boss Following Raucous Meeting, Kings County Politics. Politics does not get more local than participating in County Committee (the Democratic Party is governed by committees of citizens who are registered Democrats, from the national level down to state and community-level. The county level is the most local level of party governance in New York, check out this explainer to learn more). This piece provides a window into the King’s County Committee’s inner workings (located in Brooklyn, NY) and it’s contested meeting outcomes. September 16, 2016