Summary: March 20, 2001

Forum Day 2 Agenda: Introduction: Purpose of the deliberative dialogue; ground rules; defining the problem; personal stake; introduction of choices.

Forum moderator Taylor Willingham reminded participants that this day would be a continuation of the personal stake phase of this 10-day online deliberation about Money and Politics. She invited participants who had not yet had a chance to do so, to post any initial comments about their relationship to, or concern about, the issue. She also noted that some conversations had begun as participants responded to each other with comments, questions or requests for more information.

Toward the end of Day 2, over 65 of the more than 200 registered forum participants had posted at least one comment, story or question since the beginning of the forum.

Note: Postings appearing after this summary was written will be included in the next day's summary.

Today participants continued to relate stories and ways they felt some connection to the issue:

• Being influenced by information sources; classes, the media, and from listening to today's Senate hearings about campaign finance reform.
• Because of frustration over, and dissatisfaction with, the most commonly suggested remedies to money's corrupting influence.
• From experience studying and teaching political science and democratic theory.
• From the perspective of being a newly registered voter.
• Because of assignments (and enthusiasm) to study government and politics as a member of a high school class.

Woven throughout the stories and introductions during the day, there were some comments, questions and conversations that built around some recurring themes such as:

• Exploration of the possibility that too much money is not really the root of the problem, as evidenced by observations that; we spend more "on toothpaste" than on elections, we could redistribute who gets to spend the money, and that the best-funded candidates aren't always the winners.
• A desire to reduce the importance of money in politics, but at the same time, worry about the possible effects of succeeding, such as; restrictions in personal freedoms, a shift in who would control the flow of information about candidates and issues, and a decreased ability to protect one's interests.
• Recognition of how entrenched, tenacious and possibly even incurable the problem is- or as some participants put it:
  • "The problem is that no laws can undo the corrupt practices if their implementation depends on the best politicians money can buy."
  • "Money can be like quicksand -- it pulls you in before you know it, and there is virtually no way out...Can the clock be turned back? Will we ever have this under control? The jury is still out."
• Looking more closely at the connection between money and the quality, quantity, control and effects of information available to the public - or as one participant said:
  • "If citizens were well informed and thoughtful and civic minded, the impact of money and politics would be greatly diminished. So the next question is 'how might citizens become better informed?'" but went on to say, "...voters short cut the information highway by taking their chances on the information outback trails of campaign ads."
• Some expressed suspicions -- or even convictions -- that the answer and possibly the problem itself rests with the public who "get the government they deserve," and that money and special interests are merely filling the vacuum left by a disengaged public that could (and might yet) reclaim the space. Someone said:
  • "I believe we average Joes can do more than just wait for direction and guidance from our government to combat the influence of monied interests. Average Joes can vote. That is where the real power is."

The intent of each day's summary is to capture the essence of the conversation. It is for the benefit of participants and for others who may be observing the forum, or may be interested in the topic, or in the process. Comments on the summaries, as well as on any other aspect of the forum, are as always, more than welcome.

Patty Dineen,
Online Forum Reporter, March 20, 2001