Being a volunteer for the League of Women Voters "is better than taking a postgraduate course in American government," says Ellyn Swanson.

Mrs. Swanson has raised six children. She has 18 grandchildren, and she has been a volunteer with the League of Women Voters for over 30 years. She began in Seattle, Washington, addressing local government and education issues. When she and her family moved to the nation's capital, she became president of the Washington, D.C., League of Women Voters and then the regional National Capital Area League. In these positions, she was particularly involved in the fight to win voting representation in Congress for D.C. residents. She is proud of this effort, but also adds that the League makes its voice heard on many critical national issues, "everything from civil rights to national defense."

Asked how effective the League is, Mrs. Swanson notes, "we have the greatest impact at the local and state level because it is easier to form closer connections with lawmakers and others who impact policy." But, she points out, "The League of Women Voters is also effective at the national level precisely because it is a grassroots organization that is strong throughout the country and truly respected for its nonpartisan approach to the issues."

Having returned to the Seattle area, Ellyn Swanson continues her work with the League of Women Voters and notes, "You make a difference on important issues. But you always gain personally -- in terms of practical knowledge of how our system of government really works."

-- David Pitts

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Issues of Democracy
USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, January 1998