A Course in Running for Local Office

One of the best ways to create a more ethical environment in local government is to have more people run for office. The more people who run for office, the more pressure is put on the closed world that many local governments preserve. This closed world is preserved through the lack of interest not only of voters, but also of potential candidates, who feel the only way to get elected is to know the right people in the right way. Few people know what the options are.

The League of Women Voters of New York City has taken a step to help more people run for office by providing an inexpensive 12-hour course in how to run for public office. The course was made possible by a grant from the New York Community Trust. Such courses around the country (supported by local community trusts and other civic-minded charities and foundations) would go a long way to bringing more people into politics, making politics not something controlled by a self-selected group, but a truer reflection of the community.