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Exploring the Grassroots Political Perspective

Exploring the Grassroots Political Perspective. Nicholas Perry Citizen Outreach Canvass Director Grassroots Campaigns Inc. Outline. Personal Story Modern Political Context Explore the Questions: Are there solutions from the top? Are there alternatives?

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Exploring the Grassroots Political Perspective

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  1. Exploring the Grassroots Political Perspective Nicholas Perry Citizen Outreach Canvass Director Grassroots Campaigns Inc.

  2. Outline • Personal Story • Modern Political Context • Explore the Questions: • Are there solutions from the top? • Are there alternatives? • One Example: Grassroots Campaigns Inc.

  3. Modern Political Context • Historic Challenges • Climate crisis and peak oil • A global economic crisis • 45 million Americans live without health insurance, and 50 million more are underinsured. • Loss of basic civil liberties and human rights • 10 million children dying needlessly every year from preventable or treatable illnesses worldwide

  4. Modern Political Context • Are the solutions from the top? • The President • The Bureaucracy • Congress • State Governments • General Institutionalized Structures • A very complicated question…

  5. Modern Political Context • Recent Administration’s Accomplishments • Overturn Ban on Stem Cell Research • American Re-investment and Recovery Act • Announced closing of Guantanamo Bay • Allowed States to Regulate Emissions • Timetable for military withdrawal from Iraq • Expand State Children’s Health Care programs • Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

  6. Modern Political Context • Announced Presidential Budget • Three Pillars: Energy, Health Care, and Education • ex. Cap and Trade Proposal • The budget proposes to support clean energy development with a 10-year investment of US $15 billion per year, generated from the sale of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions credits. • The proposed cap-and-trade program, all GHG emissions credits would be auctioned off, generating an estimated $78.7 billion in additional revenue in FY 2012, steadily increasing to $83 billion by FY 2019.

  7. Modern Political Context • Significant Backlash • Businesses from startups to global giants to drugmakers and farmers are lining up to fight this plan with ad campaigns and public protests • "There's a lot of activity as people gird their loins for these battles." • says longtime Washington lobbyist Patrick E. O'Donnell, who represents defense contractors, potential bank bailout recipients, and insurance companies

  8. The Grassroots Perspective • Historic opportunity to combine the leadership in Washington with a mobilized citizen base • Movement and progress are not inevitable • “Change takes work”

  9. Grassroots Campaigns Inc. • Grassroots Campaigns is a national organization that designs and runs face-to-face field campaigns to support progressive organizations and causes. • Our basic mission is to build long term movements for political change, train activists, and empower citizens. • We launched our operations during the 2004 Presidential election, signing up hundreds of thousands of new contributors for the Democratic National Committee and running a highly successful voter turnout campaign with MoveOn.org. • In the last four years, we have worked with some of the leading independent organizations in this to further progressive issues and build grassroots activism. • Now, with a new administration in office, we are working to hold our politicians accountable.

  10. Grassroots Campaigns Inc. • Various Groups • American Civil Liberties Union • Amnesty International • Save the Children • Planned Parenthood Action Fund • League of Conservation Voters • Sierra Club • Democratic National Committee • Moveon.org

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