Back to School Week for Lawmakers: Building Trust for Government

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) (http://www.ncsl.org) offers an online survey to help people figure out where they fall on a "spectrum of trust." The survey is part of the NCSL’s Trust for Representative Democracy, a public education and outreach program designed to inform citizens about the workings of America’s legislatures and improve public understanding and support of our nation’s democratic institutions.

In the survey, for example, at one end of the spectrum (1) is the statement "Most legislators act unethically and are out for themselves. At the other end (7) is the statement "Most legislators are out to promote the public welfare as they and their constituents see it." You choose one of these extremes or someplace in between—2, 3, 4, 5, or 6—to express your level of agreement.

Another statement is "Legislators don't care what regular people think" (1). At the other end is "Legislators care deeply about what their constituents want" (7). Yet another statement is "The lawmaking process doesn’t' work well because of politics, unprincipled deal making, and needless conflict" (1). At the other end of the spectrum is the statement "Making laws is a contentious process because it takes in so many competing values, interests, and constituencies" (7). During these times, when politician's private lives and public accountability face harsh scrutiny, how people rate their feelings regarding the following statement could be interesting: "Politicians are not accountable for their actions" (1) and on the other end "Politicians, who must run for office every two or four years, are as accountable as anyone can be" (7).

The NCSL project is co-sponsored by the American Political Science Association, the Center for Civic Education, and the Center for Ethics in Government and Advocacy to promote civic education about representative democracy and the roles and responsibilities of legislators through the use of creative training and technology. It is an outstanding example of law-related education.

Particularly appropriate at this time of year is the Trust for Representative Democracy’s America’s Legislators Back to School Week. This event is designed to teach young people what it’s like to serve as an elected official: the processes, the pressures, and the debate, negotiation, and compromise that are integral to a representative democracy. The week gives young people an opportunity to meet personally with their elected state lawmakers. By entering the classroom and listening to students’ perspectives, legislators are able to initiate a dialogue while letting American youth know that their ideas matter.

Go To Page: 1 2