Q: What is The Heartland Democracy Center? What made you decide to start the organization? A: Heartland Democracy is a public engagement group that operates regionally, using policy initiatives and communications to win over hearts and minds to progressive goals. We’re a non-partisan research, analysis, and public education group working as a 501c3 public charity. You could also say that we’re a “think and do tank.” Our founders concluded that we could do much more in the Midwest to win over hearts and minds to progressive goals outside elections and party activities. We were frustrated that large parts of the Midwest remained quite conservative and showed no sign of changing, not just in the political sphere but in other realms as well, while conservative think tanks and advocacy groups have been well financed for four decades in this region. We noted, too, that while many terrific progressive groups have been very successful on specific issues, there was no regional group with a grassroots presence that articulated a coherent progressive worldview – showing how all of our progressive positions fit together. Believing that such strategies would help change minds in the heartland, we surveyed existing groups and funders in the region and decided that there was a need for a new and different kind of group to complement other efforts. When we found that our assumptions were true, and that potential donors and funders agreed with us, we decided to launch Heartland Democracy. Q: What are the goals of the organization? A: Overall, our mission is to win over hearts and minds to just and sustainable goals through public engagement on regional policy initiatives grounded in progressive principles. Toward that end, our organizational goals are to: 1. Integrate progressive thinking across all principles and issues, forming a coherent articulation of Midwestern pragmatic progressivism, 2. Regionalize thinking in the Midwest, calling upon heartlanders’ pride in our rich tradition of reform, openness in government, and a practical approach toward problem-solving. 3. Engage the public directly through a variety of strategies, using cogent and accessible communications of our principles, ideas, and lessons of history. 4. Some groups have asked us to help coordinate existing state-based groups in the region. We launched the group publicly just last month, and we have some work to do before we earn that honor. Q: What made you choose public financing of elections as an issue? And why is it important? A: When the Board and I surveyed options for our first major project, we used a number of criteria that pushed us in this direction. We wanted to make the public case for a systemic reform that would serve as a gateway to other hoped-for progressive reforms. It’s our belief that public financing of elections offers the single best way to reduce the influence of single individuals and companies on public policy. Moreover, we thought that it was an issue that had the potential of attracting the support of folks who are centrist, independent, moderate, alienated from politics, and/or reform-minded – all of whom are “target” audiences for us. Finally, we thought that we could and should do more to elevate the salience of election reform in the public mind. Q: What positive changes do you believe Clean Elections would bring to state legislatures and Congress? A: We are convinced that Clean Elections, if fully adopted, would allow legislatures and the Congress to make more decisions based upon the best long-term interests of our people and the natural world. They would greatly reduce the undue influence of individual donors, political action committees, and their lobbyists and empower the voices of everyday folks as well as people – and environments – who have no voice. Q: What can people in the Midwest do to get involved with the Heartland Democracy Center? A: Thank you for asking! The easiest way to get in touch with us is to go to our website – www.HeartlandDemocracy.org. Go to our “Get Involved” tab at the top and check out the various ways to get involved on that page. We will be launching an online Election Reform pledge on the website, too, by Thanksgiving, and we would encourage folks to sign onto that pledge. Q: What’s in store for the organization in 2009? A: We’re excited about our Election Reform Project hitting the ground and spreading out in 2009. Erin Sapp, who directs the project, has written an issue brief on Universal Voter Registration and on Full Public Financing of Elections, she’s nearly finished writing full reports on both recommendations, and we’ll be taking those recommendations to folks all over Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin initially. We are in touch with houses of worship, public affairs discussion groups, book clubs, and other groups where three or more people gather to talk, and we plan to reach out to more and more every month. We’ll also be collaborating with existing grassroots and advocacy groups to aid their efforts and test our “frames” and messages. We’re excited to see how many Midwesterners will sign our Election Reform Pledge to demonstrate growing grassroots support to “change the system.” We’re identifying specific areas of our initial three-state region, too, where voting participation is low in order to test our strategies for boosting civic participation. Once folks have digested and discussed our Election Reform package, we plan to ask them to engage with us on readings and discussions of progressive principles, lessons of history, and opportunities for further education and... action!