Introduction Questions

[Taylor Willingham <taylor@bwillingham.com>]

Alienation, distrust and disillusionment are among the most common words
used to describe American feelings about politics. How is the role of money
in politics causing the problem? What can be done?

Before we tackle the three choices spelled out in our discussion guide, we
will spend Monday and Tuesday (March 19-20) getting to know each other and
learning about how we have experienced the issue of money and politics. This
introduction phase, often referred to as the personal stake phase of the
conversation, will help us begin to understand our own feelings and
struggles with the issue, and to learn more about what this issue means to
members of our online deliberative community.

Many of you have had first hand experience with the role money plays in
politics. Who can share a personal story about how you have experienced this
issue? Do you have a personal experience that illustrates the problems
associated with this issue?

You may not have had first hand experience, but there are good reasons why
you have chosen to participate in this forum. What concerns you about money
and politics? What aspects of this issue are most important to you?

What do you hear other people saying? Is this an important issue within your
circle of friends, family and co-workers? What are their concerns?

Post your responses to this site so we can all begin to get a sense of how
we are experiencing the issue of money and politics and why we feel it is
important for us to have this conversation.

Taylor