There are many ways to serve a community: voting, working, volunteering, learning, parenting, etc.
If your public service-bliss is to geek out on government operations, there is nothing more basic than understanding the budgeting process.
Understanding how laws are made and how political parties operate are equally important, but if you don’t know how “public” money is raised, allocated, and spent, you will always feel out of the loop.
We can “vote” 365 days of the year, not just on election days, at least as long as our U.S. Constitution remains intact:
Every Day is “Call Government Switchboard Day” or “Talk to Your Elected Representatives Day”:
Congress (use this one for contact info and this one for Congressional activities and documents), or:
Maybe you saw the recent New York Times Magazine Tip: “How to Make a Citizen’s Arrest,” by Malia Wollan, May 6, 2016. (Also in their “Crime and Criminals” library.)
Maybe you wondered about Oregon’s laws on citizen’s arrests?
Maybe you also wondered if Portland, Oregon, means business with its Vision Zero plan (zero traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries)?
It’s easy to register to vote in Oregon, online, in person, by mail.
Visit the Oregon Secretary of State Elections homepage or the Register to Vote page directly.
It’s also easy to update your contact information, e.g. address, name, etc.
The Ballot Measure Archive Project (BMAP) is invaluable for anyone researching Oregon legal history. You can find the digital archives at:
Portland State University (PSU), Special Collections & University Archives. (Currently, find the direct link under “More Collections.“)
Brief Description:
Monday, December 15, 2014, 6-8 p.m., in downtown Portland:
‘This “Advocacy 101” event will provide community members with tips on how to be an effective advocate for your community or neighborhood during this upcoming 2015 state legislative session and 114th Congress. A panel of elected officials, congressional staff, and professional advocates will share their advice and answer questions about how the community can make an impact on public policy at the state and federal levels.‘
Panelists:
Job Title: Executive Director, Office of Citizen Involvement
Job Code: 9400-37
Opening Date/Time: Fri. 08/01/14 12:00 AM Pacific Time
Oregon Legal Research Blog