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Building the Infrastructure of Democracy

By Damon Circosta
Published: Feb. 16, 2009

RALEIGH - The latest buzzword among policy makers in both Washington and Raleigh is "infrastructure."

As Congress debated the stimulus package, a key point of contention was how much money should be dedicated to building and maintaining the physical and organizational structures needed for society to operate. A little closer to home, a veritable who's who of North Carolina policy makers spent two days this month debating how infrastructure investments can help achieve good growth.

For all this talk about infrastructure, it's not quite clear what infrastructure is. The most traditional definition is the brick-and-mortar public works projects like roads, bridges and dams. But in our haste to get some money into the economy we might be overlooking other public structures that, while not made of concrete, are just as important to a functioning society.

Much like our bridges and tunnels, the systems and structures that make our democracy work have also been suffering from years of neglect. The cracks in our "democracy infrastructure" might be more difficult to see, but they are real. If left untreated, these cracks could lead to catastrophe.

Take for instance the regulatory agency tasked with ensuring our elections are free and fair. The State Board of Elections does outstanding work with very limited resources, but for far too long they have been understaffed and under resourced. They cannot invest in twenty-first century technology. Nor can they hire enough regulators, administrators and officials to do all they are tasked with doing.

The State Board of Elections oversees the numerous elections conducted in North Carolina every cycle. From soil and water conservation district supervisor to president of the United States, the State Board of Elections must ensure that every citizen's vote is counted. Coordinating the nearly 3,000 polling places, the different voting systems, the more than 20,000 precinct workers and the various statutes that govern elections is an enormous task. The elections board must also ensure that candidates comply with election laws and campaign finance regulations. We as citizens don't see all of the planning and effort that goes into this, but nevertheless we expect our elections to run smoothly.

In these days of budget cuts and decreasing state revenues, the State Board of Elections is an easy target. Because their job is to serve everyone, there is no natural constituency to stand up and protect these vital programs. Many politicians are also reluctant to increase the role of our election regulators. Increased funding for the agency that oversees political campaigns is always a tough sell for politicians. And when there are so many other programs clamoring for funds, the mundane but necessary work of overseeing the democratic process can take a back seat.

But in these troubled times, investment in our democracy makes sense. In the coming years we are going to demand that our elected officials make tough choices. There is no denying that programs will be cut and that the decisions our leaders make will have a real impact on everyone. We elect people to make these tough choices. Unless we have total confidence in the inner workings of our democracy, that is unless we invest in the infrastructure that undergirds the process, we might be apt to question the legitimacy of these decisions.

Like most every state in the nation, North Carolina is going to have to grapple with budget shortfalls. As we look for smart investments in our infrastructure, let’s make sure we aren't just spending money on roads, bridges and tunnels. Lets take the long view and make sure we also invest in our democracy infrastructure.