Rationale and Background
* Problem with Elections
* Problem of Government
* Defects in Electoral System
* The Assembly Solution
* Summary
The Maryland Public Assembly is a means for ordinary citizens in Maryland to participate more actively and effctively in the politics and electoral process in the state. Its purpose is to endorse suitable candidates for public office at all levels of government throughout the state. The Assembly's endorsements aim to assist voters in identifying candidates who will provide the most effective, responsive government on behalf of the broad public interest of all. The Assembly is grassroots and non-partisan in nature, and open to all Maryland ciizens of voting age.
The Problem with Elections
Major political parties function primarily to win elections and achieve governmental power for the candidates they nominate. They do not necessarily implement a commitment to the broad public interest or provide the electorate with real education and complete information about the problems and alternative solutions involved in the operation of effective government. Elections are therefore won and power too often achieved by the clever manipulation of facts, false promises and avoidance of communication on the most fundamental concerns and issues of government.
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The Problem of Government
Because of the restricted electoral process and limited participation and direct knowledge of voters, candidates win and decisions in government are more likely to be made according to the needs of special interests, or for reasons of personal gain and political power; i.e., not for any real commitment to conscience or to solve the underlying fundamental problems in society. The need to change government policies are therefore too often met with unresponsive attitudes and general indifference to the real concerns of ordinary citizens.
Growing government power and reduced individual liberty are a source of constant concern and frustration for ordinary citizens who see their own personal freedoms eroded by increasing levels of wasteful government spending, greater dependency on government services, over taxation and unnecessary and excessive regulation. Uninformed and discouraged about alternative approaches to prevailing government policies, the ordinary citizen either votes for the presumed security of the status quo, or fails to vote at all. Efforts to lobby elected officials to change their fundamental philosophy or basic approach to government is largely futile and impotent without any corresponding investment in the process of their election. Given the lack of impartial information for voters on the pertinent isues and positions of the various candidates, new elections under the currrent electoral system are unlikely to bring forward any significant change to the underlying direction of government operation.
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Defects in the Current Electoral Process:
Specifically, the current electoral process is defective in several ways -
* Primary Endorsements Favor Incumbents
Although "choice" within parties is supposed to occur in the "primary" elections, the large number of candidates and lack of voter information assures that slates of incumbents, special interests or status quo "endosing" conventions will usually defeat any real challenge from an alternative candidate more responsive to the broad public interest..
* Economic Issues
Incumbents have considerable leverage to assure campaign resources because of their political position and cooperation of special interests. Slate-making to replace retiring incumbents is generally conducted around the status quo forces that supported the original inclumbents, so these gain the benefit of a shared pool of incumbent endorsements and corresponding campaign funds. Many competent and otherwise qualified public interest candidates have limited personal funds to run a politcal campaign as an alternative, so slate-making with other candidates to share campaign costs is the only viable option. However, slate-making by the candidates themselves does not carry the same weight as the endorsement of a separate group, so the battle for "endorsements" is usually lost by the alternative candidates outside of the established political structure.
* Lack of Information and Voter Apathy
With a large field of candidates and limited information about many offices, most voters don't know the candidates pesonally and so select on the basis of incumbency, party affiliation or special endorsements which they generally favor. New candidates with a commitment to the public interest, good ideas and strong convictions for good government cannot usually overcome the overwhelming lack of information and general voter apathy.
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The Assembly Solution
The Maryland Public Assembly provides a voice and focus for the broad public interest in the electoral process. It offers the ordinary citizen and voter a forum to discuss and identify important issues and endorse candidates on the basis of their commitment to provide the most effective, responsive government for the people of Maryland. The Assembly is non-partisan and grassroots in nature, open to all citizens of voting age in the state. Assembly principles, rules and procedures assure that all endorsements are made in the most open, fair and democratic manner possible. Endorsed candidats can choose to pool their econonmic resources to join together in the prepration and distribution of sample ballots and other campaign information. Assembly volunteers can aid in this effort at the polls to distribute Assembly information about endorsed candidates, and to otherwise serve in the campaign of the endorsed candidates.
The Assembly will maintain a continuous year round function to follow the progress and results of endorsed candidates who are elected to public office -- and to study, revise and update the platform of issues as needed. The Assembly will also serve an important educational pupose for voters to learn more about the candidates and issues at all levels of government.
The Assembly is financed through voluntary contributions and a modest annual membership fee from each member. Its elected officers serve on a voluntary, non-paid basis. The Assembly provides all necessary operating rules, endosement procedures, and agreement forms to assure an effective operation in all its activities.
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The Maryland Public Assembly significantly addresses and works to solve the defects in the current electoral system in the following ways:
* Primary Endorsements Favor Incumbents
The Assembly may consider endosements in the "primary" election of any political party, and can thereby offer an effective alternative endosement for those candidats who are less favored by the incumbents and party regulars. If an endorsed candidate is defeated at the primary level, that position could be declared open for another candidate to be endorsed for the same position in the general election.
* Economic Issues
The Assembly's endosement of a "slate" of candidates will provide a basis for their joint appeal to the voters. With the weight of numbers, and commitment to unified endorsement, each candidate gains a strength and visibility that is not possible by a solitary campaign. An individual candidate's economic resources and campaign supporters could be combined with others to increase significant their impact as a group - to reach out to the voters with literature and sample ballots. Assembly volunteers would be avilable to distribute sample ballots during the campaign, assist in mailings, and represent the Assembly slate at the polls.
* Lack of Information and Voter Apathy
The Assembly's literature will provide a summary of its principles and issues to the voters, as well as specific endorsements of candidates. This will be made available to the press and distributed as widely as possible to the general public. Endorsed candidates with initial little visilibity will therefore gain much needed public exposure and positive name recongition through their identification with the Assembly. Independent or third-party participants would be fully included into the electoral process on a more equal footing with the established mainstream parties and incumbent candidates.
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Summary
The Maryland Public Assembly can become a strong voice for the public interest in each election in the state; giving candidates of character and principle a considerable support for their election to public office. The Assembly plans for each county to have its own local committee to enhance the grassroots participation of all. For further information or to join the Assembly, email to havis@erols.com. See also the print out application form to join.
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