Campus Coordinator, Democracy Matters

Posted by on April 5, 2002

Democracy Matters is accepting applications for paid internships through
our Campus Coordinator program for 2002-03 academic year. We are a
non-partisan organization of students and professors working on campuses
across the country to educate people about the role of money in
politics, and its impact on democracy. We call for alternatives that can
reform and revitalize our political process thereby deepening democracy
in the United States. Specifically, we organize around issues of
campaign finance reform, full and partial public funding of elections,
and election reform.

We differ from other political groups on campus in that we are not a
political party and we do not concern ourselves with specific races.
Instead, we are concerned with the process of campaigns-especially
fundraising-and issues specifically related to political accountability
and democracy.

Campus Coordinators work closely with Democracy Matters staff and are
given the opportunity to participate in regional and national Democracy
Matters conferences and workshops. Democracy Matters also provides
Campus Coordinators with a wide range of support materials and funding
for campus activities.
Campus Coordinator responsibilities include:
o Build coalitions of student activists on your campus.
o Organize teach-ins on money in politics.
o Train college students to run workshops in high schools.
o Coordinate with other colleges in sponsoring reform legislation.
o Lobby and educate elected officials about campaign finance reform.
o Run petition drives and door-to-door canvasses to educate students on
the issue of money in politics.
o Create a Democracy Matters chapter that can work with students,
faculty and community activists to get private money out of politics and
people back in.

Applicants should have a commitment to social change and some organizing
experience. No expertise in campaign finance reform is required.

Campus Coordinators will be paid monthly at the rate of $750 per
semester. Additional funding is made available for campus activities.
Please send your resume and a 750 word essay that addresses the
following: (1) why your campus is a good place for Democracy Matters,
(2) how your experiences have led you to an interest in this position,
(3) how you would carry out Democracy Matters programs on your campus
and in the community; and (4) how you and your campus will benefit from
joining Democracy Matters. Please e-mail these materials to
joa-@democracymatters.org or mail to: Joan Mandle, Democracy Matters,
2626 Johnny Cake Hill Road, Hamilton, NY, 13346