Memo to Doug Rubin III: Pushing Forward and Back on Citizenship

Part of it is also looking at the political dynamic going ahead.  I just have this premonition of Charlie Baker (even though I think he may wuss out in the end from a challenge) running ads about local budget cuts while the Gov’s office budget expanded by 80%.  A cheap shot yes, but why not start heading it off by educating the public, the press and fellow pols more thoroughly about what this funding is for and how it is (and will) make people’s lives better.

It may also be worthwhile thinking about relocating the Commonwealth Corp. outside the Governor’s office after the first year or two post-implementation.  I want it to last and fear that as long as its located in the Governor’s office it will associated solely with Patrick and not seen as integral to government beyond his tenure.  Put it in Housing and Economic Development maybe and relate it to the community development work they are already engaged in.

Looking into the future, I think there is more to do to set out the Governor’s wider goals for citizenship/public service.  What does he want to achieve in this area, after two (or three) terms in office, when all is said and done?  More people voting.  More people volunteering.  More people running for office.  More people attending town meetings or public hearings. More people understanding what their Govt is up to and feeling able to get involved.  Or beyond electioneering and democracy, more parents serving on PTAs or kids joining after-school clubs.  More neighbors joining neighborhood watch groups or families throwing block parties.  More people ultimately building social links and generating social capital.  And how much more of these activities do we want – what does success look like for the Governor?

It could be more of all of the above. But at this point I am not sure the public (or the legislature) understands what the citizenship agenda is all about or understands what it means for them.  

All of these activities are measurable or at least surveyable.  One thing to do would be to gather evidence on levels of political and social participation across the State, in its regions and demographically (enlisting some social researchers, maybe get Robert Putnam’s Sahuaro Seminar folks at Harvard involved).  Publish it and then go about setting out some goals for where we want it to be in five years/ten years.  Then develop a package of ideas (anything from election day registration or more time off for parents to be involved in their children’s schools, etc.., many of which may already be out there but can be pulled together to become more than the sum of their parts) for how we may achieve these goals and increase social capital.  

And to push the agenda further and build on the op-ed or short-term press strategy, maybe the Governor could give a major address on the importance of citizenship/service to our future – sometime after Obama wins in November but before he is sworn in.  In it he could set out the evidence about participation, give examples of where it’s making a difference and open up a dialogue with the public about how we can increase civic engagement.  No doubt if what the Governor seeks is increased political and social interaction, then the public’s views and voice must be at the heart of it.  Let’s ask people what and how they want to get involved? What are the barriers people face in participating (what’s holding them back) and how can we can overcome them?

And in the realm of the less possible, I wonder whether you/we/us (someone, Bueller) may want to look at constitutional reform down the line.  This is an ill-defined notion at this point, but sometimes I feel the basic mechanics of government and the constitutional principles they are rooted in could use some change or at least a refresher.  Not more direct democracy (too often the ballot has been high-jacked by special interests to deal with complex issues in a nonsensical up-or-down fashion), but by reforming our representative institutions and the way they relate to the public – i.e. a greater duty to involve the public, rights to be involved/consulted, etc (something more than Open Meeting laws).  I don’t have the ideas about how at this point and can see reasons not to open up the constitutional pandora, but I do wonder if there is some room to explore this.

It’s also worth saying that the citizenship agenda cannot take prominence over the jobs and schools elements of the Governor’s core issues triumvirate.  People may not care about volunteering when they can’t get a job or send their kid to a decent school.  But the Governor has not and should not be afraid to push the issue of citizenship up the agenda quite publicly.  It matters.  The relationship between the government and the people it serves is a two-way street.  So many of the challenges we face today, from health care to climate change to education require a partnership between people and their government to solve.  We the people have rights we can exercise, but we also have a responsibility to do so.  

The Governor has been bold to put citizenship on his priority list – giving life to what his campaign promised.  And I know many of my suggestions are already in some way being addressed.  But, building a greater understanding of what citizenship means for us all and pushing back against a cynical media (which can feed public cynicism and political backsliding) seems necessary to make the promise of this work a reality.

Please share widely!

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