Episode 292: How Do You Decide?
It’s time to get vote ready. But once you get to your polling place and get your ballot, how do you decide you will cast your vote for? L. Joy is getting us prepared to vote by getting us to think through not just where and when to vote but being educated on the power of each office as well as the people running for those positions. For this conversation, she brings Judson Scanlon and Dr. Chris Jones to the front of the class.
Kicking off this lesson, L. Joy gives us a simple framework for evaluating candidates. First, find out what each office that candidates are running for can do. What power does each office have over policies, budgets, appointments, and resources. Next, take what you have learned about each office to figure out if the candidates’ campaign promises are realistic. Then check if candidates have a background that shows that they can responsibly use the power of the office they are running for.
L. Joy brings Judson Scanlon, longtime political organizer and trainer, to the front of the class for their discussion on the importance of voters understanding their power before the hand power over to a candidate for elected office. They stress that citizens have an important role in shaping political values, influencing their communities, building relationships and holding elected officials accountable after election day.
When Chris Jones, Congressional Candidate in Arkansas, joins L. Joy at the front of the class, she asks him not only about what he promises voters on the campaign trail, but what decisions he would make if elected. Chris explains his approach to governing by sharing the questions he asks himself. He asks if a decision would make life harder or easier for his constituents, does it shift power to or away from people who have historically did not have power, does it create something meaningful for the long term, and if the people most affected were included in making the decision. Chris also shares what he has learned about the political system by running for office.
Do Now
It’s time to get vote ready again. Before we go to the polls:
Pull up your sample ballot. Know what offices are in play before you go.
Research the office. Be it governor, congress, attorney general, school board, or even dog catcher. Know what the office can do. What power does it hold. What can be accomplished via the office.
Research each of the candidates. What are their values, priorities, decision making ability, and how they have already used power in positions prior.