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The League of Women Voters is an American nonpartisan political organization founded in 1920 by Carrie Chapman Catt during the last meeting of the National American Woman Suffrage Association approximately six months before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution gave U.S. women the right to vote. It began as a "mighty political experiment" aimed to help newly-enfranchised women exercise their responsibilities as voters. Originally, only women could join the LWV; but in 1973 the charter was modified to include men. The LWV is a grassroots organization with chapters in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The LWV has approximately 150,000 members (as of 2006). The LWV is nonpartisan, meaning it does not endorse or oppose political candidates or parties at any level of government. The LWV does support or oppose many political issues after studying them and coming to a consensus on a position. The LWV works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy, as well as through political lobbying of Congress. The LWV is organized into two complementary halves: Voters Service and Citizen Education; and Program and Action.
Voter Service and Citizen Education The Voter Service and Citizen Education portion of the LWV informs and educates voters about candidates, the electoral process and issues on which the LWV has no position. The League of Women Voters Education Fund sponsored the 1976, 1980, and 1984 presidential debates. In 1988, the LWV withdrew from debate sponsorship, in protest of the major party candidates attempting to dictate nearly every aspect of how the debates were to be conducted, which ultimately resulted in the Democratic and Republican parties forming the Commission on Presidential Debates which gave the parties greater control over the debate environment. On October 2, 1988, the LWV's 14 trustees voted unanimously to pull out of the debates, and on October 3 they issued a dramatic press release: The League of Women Voters is withdrawing sponsorship of the presidential debates ... because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter. It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public. The LWV continues to sponsor and moderate candidates' meetings and debates for local and state elections across the country. The LWV puts out voter's guides that compare candidates' positions on various issues. Some chapters of the LWV also staff precincts on Election Day helping to administer elections. The LWV is a strong supporter of transparency in government and many chapters send members to observe meetings of governmental bodies. Program and Action The Program and Action portion of the LWV studies issues, develops consensus positions and lobbies for changes in law and public policy. Program and Action is divided into four broad categories: Representative Government, International Relations, Natural Resources, and Social Policy. Representative Government The LWV supports "an open governmental system that is representative, accountable and responsive." The LWV has worked to reduce barriers to voting, to implement campaign finance reform, and to prevent gerrymandering. The LWV is a strong supporter of transparency in government and in Open Meeting Law. In 2003, the LWV worked to incorporate key voter protection and civil rights provisions into Help America Vote Act (HAVA). In 2004, the LWV lobbied Congress in favor of the bi-partisan Security and Freedom Ensured Act (SAFE) which attempted to scale back some portions of the PATRIOT Act which impact on individual liberties. International Relations The LWV believes that the United States should "promote peace in an interdependent world by working cooperatively with other nations and strengthening international organizations". The League is a strong supporter of the United Nations. During the 1940s, the LWV launched a nationwide campaign to build public support for the United Nations. The LWV was one of the first non-government organizations affiliated with the UN. The LWV supports a liberal U.S. trade policy aimed at reducing trade barriers and expanding international trade. Natural Resources The LWV works to "promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest". The League has worked to promote clean air, clean water and to manage solid waste in an environmentally sound way. The League was a strong proponent of the Clean Air Act of 1990. The League continues to work for stronger Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution. The League promoted the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1987. Social Policy The LWV works to "secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all, to promote social and economic justice, and to secure the health and safety of all Americans." The League has worked on a broad range of activities under the rubric of Social Policy including ending racial discrimination, providing equal access to quality education, fair housing, health care, and gun control. Specifically in the area of gun control, according to the organization's website, "The 1990 League convention took the rare step of The League of Women Voters endorsed and supported the Mother’s Day 2000 Million Mom March of the Brady Campaign through the activities of many league members across the country who participated in the event, as well as by the official involvement of the organization's leadership and board. See also Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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