CONWAY, Ark. (April 26, 2018)
– Hendrix College student Wes Hance ’19 recently published Creating a “Citizen-Friendly” Arkansas General Assembly: Fusing the
Disconnect Between Citizens and their Legislature through the Arkansas
Policy Program (APP).
Developed by Hendrix
politics professor Dr. Jay Barth with the support of the Bill and Connie Bowen
Odyssey Professorship, APP builds upon Barth’s ongoing public policy and public
opinion research and advocacy work related to Arkansas. Through APP, students
and faculty provide nonpartisan, original analyses on key public policy issues
in Arkansas through a new undergraduate think tank.
Hance, a Batesville native,
wrote this latest report to provide an analysis of how accessible and
approachable the Arkansas General Assembly is for citizens. He examines the
level of contact citizens have with their elected officials, the availability
of resources, the role of civics education in schools, and progress made
through reform efforts in other states.
“Citizen apathy towards
state politics has been a growing issue in Arkansas, and it is the duty of the
Arkansas General Assembly to help in alleviating this problem,” he said. “The
legislature and Bureau of Legislative Research must continue to provide
citizens with access to legislators, government resources, and quality civics
education.”
The report concludes with
suggestions for ways the legislature can become more accessible to the public,
with the ultimate goal of creating a climate that fosters a more informed
citizenry through increased civic engagement.
“I am excited to see how the
report is received by citizens and state legislators,” Hance said. “Citizen-led
ballot initiatives and grassroots organizations are becoming increasingly
important to passing progressive legislation in Arkansas, and I hope the General
Assembly considers the report’s suggestions on ways to encourage citizens to
partake in the legislative process.”
Barth offered thanks to
Bettina Brownstein, cooperating attorney for the ACLU of Arkansas, for her role
in mentoring Hance through the process of developing this report, and offered
praise for Hance.
“Wes has shown deep
dedication to civic engagement during his time at Hendrix and this project
further exemplifies his belief that the democratic system can be made
healthier,” Barth said. “This project shows clearly that no single change will
produce a fully ‘citizen-friendly’ state legislature. Instead, a series of
changes needs to occur to create that ideal. Still, even small changes can move
the state closer towards accessibility and transparency in the lawmaking
process.”
For a free PDF file of the
latest report or to learn more about APP, email barth@hendrix.edu, or download the report here: Citizen_Friendly_Legislature_FINAL
About
Hendrix College
A private liberal arts
college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as
one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That
Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and
rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.