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Rule of Law Versus Abuse of Power
The Constitution and its amendments are documents that seek to protect democracy from the threats that abuse power, prioritize one group above another, or disrupt the balance of power between branches of government â including the removal of checks on the executive branch. In recent history, we have seen examples of countries where representative governments have crumbled, such as in Venezuela and in the Philippines, among others, as legal and political checks on leaders were chipped away, one by one. The drafters of the Constitution predicted this weakness of human nature and structured the Constitution to protect against any person or group taking too much power from the people of the United…
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Q&A About New Executive Orders Concerning Immigration and DeportationÂ
The new presidential administration has issued many executive orders focused on immigration issues since taking office. Some of these executive orders have already begun to impact families and systems, some are being challenged legally, and some will lead to actions and consequences that are not yet known. This brief Q&A intends to answer simple questions with currently available information about terms you might hear or read about in the coming days. Links to additional sources and more information related to each question are included. Q: What is âbirthright citizenshipâ?A: The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 and reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to…
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The Peaceful Transition of Presidential Power
After King Benjamin advised his people concerning their dealings with one another, he urged, âAnd see that these things be done in wisdom and in order,â repeating, âall things must be done in orderâ (Mosiah 4:27). Applying this counsel to our citizenship, we can support the peaceful transition of presidential power by advocating for a process with wisdom and order overarching. After serving two terms as the first president of the newly formed United States, long before term limits were established, George Washington declined running for a third term, in part to keep a promise he made early on to not seek âunfair power.â Thus began the history of the…
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MWEG Response to the 2024 Election Results
On November 5, 2024, millions of American citizens cast their votes for the next president of the United States, and Donald J. Trump emerged as the clear winner. As it was four years ago, the election was free and fair. In preparation for the election, our organization tirelessly worked alongside countless organizations and individuals to shore up our election systems against potential scenarios that would harm public trust. We acknowledge with gratitude the government employees, poll workers, and volunteers (including many members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government) who made this familiar process fair. Across the nation, a multitude of voters made significant sacrifices to cast their ballots, further affirming…
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Call to Action: The Building Civic Bridges Act (H.R. 6843/S. 4530)
The Building Civic Bridges Act is expected to be reintroduced in September of this year. This bill, which has broad bipartisan support, would authorize $25 million per year to formalize efforts with regard to civic bridge building. It will establish an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding within AmeriCorps to research civic bridge building and social cohesion, train AmeriCorps members on bridge-building skills, and support bridge-building efforts throughout the nation. To Do Contact your members of Congress to urge them to support the Building Civic Bridges Act. Use MWEG’s advocacy tool to send a letter. Quickly enter your contact information, write your letter, and send with just one click. Background The Building…
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The Presidential Primary Pizza Party
By Amy Menlove Parker, MWEG Member February 27, 2020 A liberal, a centrist, and a conservative walk into a park. Thatâs how our parties started. While our kids played, we discussed how woefully uninformed we were about Utahâs 2018 midterms, and within an hour, with MWEGâs Voter Prep Parties in mind, we dreamed up a political preparation party we could invite our neighbors to. It was so much fun that two weeks ago, after discussing the Democratic candidates at another playdate, I messaged my friend and said, âMaybe we should have another political preparation party?â She replied, âRemove the maybe and the question mark.â In a series of just a…
