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What Is the Filibuster?
Prior to a bill being passed into law by the Senate, it is brought up for debate. During the debate, the U.S. Senate rules allow a senator (or a series of senators) to speak for as long as they wish, and on whatever they wish, and the bill cannot be voted on until debate has ended. A senator or senators can, then, speak for an extended period of time with the sole purpose of preventing a vote on the bill and/or refuse to vote to end the debate. This obstructive tactic, known as the filibuster, isn’t part of the Constitution but an inadvertent result of an 1806 rule change. The…
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Protect the Vote? Damn Tootin’ We Can
Election Day is 100 days from today. One hundred days is very little time to prepare for the complexities of voting during a pandemic, made obvious by several recent tumultuous primary elections and a resurgence of absentee ballot requests from voters who don’t want to — or can’t — risk voting at the polls. Last month in Georgia, for example, thousands braved rain, heat, and virus exposure after their requested mail-in ballots did not arrive. An 80-year-old woman hoping to vote in Atlanta said, “What is going on in Georgia? We have been waiting for hours. This is ridiculous. This is unfair.” An investigation is looking into why the “catastrophe”…
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What Is Vote-by-Mail?
The election of 1864 was held in the midst of civil war — a national crisis of a magnitude our country had never seen before and has not seen since. One German-born commentator was shocked when the nation went ahead with elections. But Abraham Lincoln knew that if they allowed the flames of the Civil War to engulf the elections of 1864, the very republic he fought to preserve would also risk ruin. He said, “We cannot have free Government without elections, and if the rebellion could force us to forego or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us” (Nov. 10, 1864).…
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Op-Eds: A Crash Course
Op-eds can be some of the most thought-provoking — and controversial — sections of news publications, both in print and online. Last month, MWEG’s media literacy team set out to clarify what op-eds are (you might be surprised what the “op” stands for), how they can be useful (and not so useful), and why and how you can find your voice and write your own. What are op-eds? Many newspapers have an opinion section, which operates completely separately from the rest of the paper and which publishes “several different types of content in the spirit of presenting a wide range of viewpoints and to encourage thoughtful debate” Des Moines Register).…
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Education: Career Diplomats and Ambassadors
By Lisa Rampton Halverson, MWEG Senior Director of Educate Limb During the impeachment inquiry proceedings we have heard of ambassadors, career diplomats, foreign service officers, and more. Many have testified of their dedicated, nonpartisan career service to our country. Yet we hear that others were given their position as a political favor. We hope this post will help MWEGers and others understand who these people are and what kind of preparation they have had (or not had). Career Diplomats or Foreign Service Officers Career diplomats or FSOs are hired, not appointed. They come to their positions with a wide and extensive variety of experience and backgrounds. Many come in speaking…
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MWEG Op-Ed: “Who Is Defending Our Democracy?”
“Allowing foreign governments into our election process puts our democracy and our citizenry in danger. A foreign interest is always just that — foreign and not American. Our leaders must zealously guard our interests and democratic institutions. Our elected representatives are sworn to protect these institutions through rules of law and political norms. Very few are currently doing so. Thank you, Sen. Romney, for courageously defending our democracy. The electorate will remember those willing to protect it and us.” Click here for the full text of this Deseret News opinion piece written by MWEG leaders Lisa Rampton Halverson and Wendy Dennehy.
