Summary: March 29, 2001

Forum Day 9: Reflections on the Dialogue: Hearing a public voice-Individual Reflections.

This was the first day of the two concluding days of the online forum on the issue "Money and Politics: Who Owns Democracy?" This day was devoted to individual reflections about how the forum may have influenced the way participants see the issue and how it may have changed the way they understand the views of others.

The forum moderator asked participants to "step away from the choices" to begin to define the "public voice" that has been heard in this forum. Participants were first asked to reflect on how their individual thinking about the issue may have changed during the forum. They were also asked how their thinking about other people's views had changed as a result of the forum process.

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

Many of the day's postings contained continued discussion about aspects of the various choices such as; disclosure of campaign contributions, the connection between money and influence, lobbyists, providing free or reduced cost airtime for candidates, public funding of campaigns, and spending caps for campaigns. Some participants also posted responses to comments or questions that had been posted earlier.

Some responses to the question: What are your reflections on how this experience has influenced your thinking?

• Started with a strong desire for campaign finance reform and still feel that way but have also gained an appreciation that most issues have many faces and many points of view and hadn't looked at it that way before
• Broadened what had been a simplistic point of view
• Was surprised to see shared views with others; may differ on the "how", but agree on the need to "do something"
• Started by just identifying that "the system is broke" and then moved on to need to deal with "painfully honest approaches"
• See discussions like this as "a good start"
• "Am not sure my thinking has changed so much as it has been challenged", "have thought about how my 'pet' ideas would, in reality, be applied", "I am more in favor of separating lobbyists from contributors than I was before"

Responses to the question: How has your thinking about other people's opinions been influenced by this forum?

• "My views have not changed substantially...", but see that "some novel ideas have been put forth."
• "I've enjoyed the divergent ideas this forum presented" "It is this type of deep thinking that helps solve difficult problems"
• See that "...citizens have high level of frustration with officeholders"

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 aspect of the forum, are as always, more than welcome.

Patty Dineen
Online Forum Reporter, March 29, 2001