WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii was created as a representative democracy where all governmental power is inherent in the people who exercise that power through the legislative, executive, and judicial branches; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, citizen interest in government and knowledge of the political system has declined in part due to a weakening belief in and a lack of understanding of the virtues and knowledge needed for a successful form of government; and

WHEREAS, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has passed a resolution stating that the operations of state legislatures and the roles of individual legislators are often little understood by citizens, and that public understanding of the institutions and processes of government are critical to building public trust and confidence; and

WHEREAS, the NCSL resolution also states that state legislatures need to bring about a better understanding of the concept of representative democracy and that education about representative democracy should emphasize the importance of compromise and the difficulty of resolving competing interests in a diverse society; and

WHEREAS, the bipartisan Legislators Back to School annual program is the largest civics lesson in the nation, whereby legislators across the nation visit schools in their districts and personally meet with young constituents, and which in Hawaii is coordinated through the Legislative Reference Bureau's Public Access Room; and

WHEREAS, the program gives legislators an opportunity to answer any questions that young constituents may have, to listen to their concerns on the issues affecting their lives, and to impart a greater understanding of the necessity for debate, negotiation, and compromise, as part of the legislative process, to develop effective public policy; and

WHEREAS, this not only promotes a greater understanding of the legislative process, it also builds public trust and confidence in a representative democracy, and it engages future voters and leaders in a dialogue about the value of a representative democracy; and

WHEREAS, legislators will also benefit from interacting with students, teachers, and administrators; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that all members of the Hawaii State Legislature are urged to visit students in classrooms during the school year to support civic education and to promote a greater understanding of the legislative process and the role of legislators in a representative democracy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to all members of the Hawaii State Legislature, the Superintendent of Education; and the Public Access Coordinator.

Report Title:

Civic Education; Legislators Back to School program.