League of Women Voters of the US

League of Women Voters^®
of Mississippi, Inc.

Find out about the National League of Women Voters

Issue Studies. Issue Positions. Action & Advocacy. National Voter.

Issue Studies

The following topics are currently being studied at the National Level:
Immigration Study

Study Brief #1

Study Brief #2

Study Brief #3

Study Brief #4

Historical Perspective

Download your Consensus Packet today!

Issue Positions

Representative Government Promote an open governmental system that is representative, accountable and responsive.
International Relations Promote peace in an interdependent world by working cooperatively with other nations and strengthening international organizations.
Natural Resources Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest.
Social Policy Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice and the health and safety of all Americans.

Action & Advocacy

National Priorities

Campaign Finance Reform Escalating campaign costs drive out potential candidates and require those running for office to spend too much time raising money + too often from special interests. With passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, we now have an excellent opportunity to turn up the pressure for fundamental change in our campaign finance system. We need your help to pass the new McCain-Feingold-Durbin Free Air Time legislation. That legislation will require television and radio broadcast stations to provide free air time to candidates and political parties for political debate before elections.

Civil Liberties There are fundamental principles that guard our liberty -- from independent judicial review of law enforcement actions to prohibitions on indiscriminate searches -- that must be preserved. Basic civil liberties must be protected as the nation seeks to guard against terrorism and other threats to national security.

DC Voting Rights Citizens of the District of Columbia have no representation in the U.S. Senate and only a nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. A basic principle of democracy is at stake. U.S. citizens living in the capital of the free world deserve to have full voting representation in the bodies that make their laws, tax them and call them to war.

Election Administration When the 2000 election exposed the many problems facing the election system, the League leaped into action. Bringing our coalition allies together, the League worked to ensure that key reforms were part of the congressional debate. With the League's special expertise, we argued for improved voting systems and machines, provisional balloting and other safeguards, and improvements in voter registration systems, poll worker training and administration.

Ethics and Lobbying Reform The League of Women Voters supports legislation that would effectively reform the lobbying process and begin to rebuild public confidence in Congress. We want Congress to enact lobby reform legislation that sets new contribution and fundraising limits on lobbyists and lobbying firms; fundamentally changes the gift, travel and employment relationships among Members of Congress, lobbyists and lobbying firms; and institutes new and effective enforcement mechanisms. Congress needs an independent office or commission to oversee and enforce ethics rules and lobbying laws, receive allegations and complaints, conduct investigations and present cases to congressional ethics committees.

Global Climate Change The League believes that now is the time to act on global climate change. We can reduce global warming pollution by using existing technologies to make power plants and factories more efficient, make cars go farther on a gallon of gasoline, and shift to cleaner technologies. Cities, states and individuals are already adopting many of these solutions, which also reduce our dependence on oil, reduce air pollution, and protect pristine places from oil drilling and mining. State and local initiatives are proving that answers exist. To reinforce and expand on those efforts, the League urges federal action that reduces global warming pollutants on a national and global scale.

Health Care Reform The League believes that quality, affordable health care should be available to all U.S. residents. Other U.S. health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services, efficient and economical delivery of care, advancement of medical research and technology, and a reasonable total national expenditure level for health care. Furthermore, the League believes that all Americans should have access to a basic level of care that includes the prevention of disease, health promotion and education, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute care, long-term care and mental health care.

The National Voter

Read the current issue or archived issues of The National Voter:
National Voter

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 8, 2008 22:48 PDT.