Rebooting Democracy

Posted by Sheila Redick on January 16, 2006

The Oregon Bus Project, now in its fourth year, recently convened its own three-day version of a power lunch,  to consider how the young activists who make up the project can reboot democracy in this election year.  

According to Willamette Week, "the project aims to get progressive volunteers -- especially young people -- to ride a bus out to suburban swing districts and spend a day door-knocking to help elect legislative candidates.  There is a core group of 300 members, but about 10,000 people get email updates.

"The Bus network is modeled after past state political incubators like X-PAC and Demo Forum.  Like its ancestors, the Bus Project is an open-door fraternity-sorority of political junkies bound for bigger things."  These earlier groups launched the careers of former Portland Mayors Neil Goldschmidt (also former governor) and Vera Katz, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Metro Council President David Bragdon, among many other state and local politicians.

As cities search for new civic leadership, the Oregon Bus Project seems like a promising model for involving young adults in political and civic action.