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6
Many
of you are affliated with the reform efforts put together by the Alliance
for Better Campaigns. What changes would you like to see made?
KATHLEEN
HALL JAMIESON replies:
The
Alliance for Better Campaigns is attempting to bring together citizen groups
in various states on the model adopted in Minnesota in 1996 to try to create
a different electoral climate. And so through a partnership agreement with
the so-called good government groups and all the individuals in a community
who care about the community. So the business groups, in Minnesota it's the
Minnesota Meeting, the League of Women Voters, the Chambers of Commerce, those
people who have a vested interest in making sure democracy works, are being
invited to join together to say we want a higher level of politics this time.
And specifically that we'd like to see the broadcasters provide some alternative
forums to view candidates. Mini-debates, for example, have been suggested.
The small moments that don't take up two hours of your evening and require
that you reschedule your life, but will nonetheless give you some chance to
see the candidates agreeing and disagreeing on issues. Free time where the
broadcasters will offer it, so that the candidates will have the chance to
speak in their own voice. Broadcasters and newspapers that will ad-watch,
so they will help tell consumers where the ads are over the line, and more
importantly, will signal to the politicians that they are going to be held
accountable. One of the things that we know is that when politicians know
that there's going to be high level of ad-watching, they're much more careful
in their ads. So by virtue of signalling that it's going to happen, you actually
minimize the problem that ad-watching is trying to address.
The
Alliance is also asking newspapers and broadcasters to try to minimize their
focus on the game and the tactics and the strategy and increase their focus
on the substantive differences and similarities between the candidates. It's
asking the candidates to accept debate and debate frequently, to debate in
different formats to try to attract audiences, and also to encourage broadcast
and print reporters to remind us of the timing of the debates, to give us
access to them by rebroadcasting debates and reprinting debates and to tell
us when they're happening and what's important about them. When they did happen
and what they did do. And afterwards, what was learned and what is still on
the issue.
So
the Alliance is a complex enterprise which is trying to create a more energized
community which will ask for a high level of campaigning from candidates and
one hopes in return, a more informed electorate.
Ask KATHLEEN HALL JAMIESON
Ask BOB SQUIER
Ask PAUL TAYLOR