Good news, bad news on Activism - two articles

(1) Good news:
Credit: Congress.org, Abreem Ali

Article: "Study: Activism brings joy"
http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/12 ... brings_joy

Poeple engaged politically tend to be happier.
Their work may be frustrating at times, but activists tend to be a happier lot than the general public.

So say the two psychologists who co-authored a study published by "Political Psychology."

They claim that activists feel more autonomous than most people, gain fulfillment from having a purpose in life, and seem to like themselves.

In These Times reports:

Activism fulfills human needs on several levels. According to the study, it satisfies one's eudaimonic needs — the need for a sense of meaning and purpose to life. More superficially, it fulfills the hedonic need to feel pleasure.

Kasser says that activism "does a fairly good job at satisfying" the four psychological needs that must be met for a person to be happy: autonomy, competence, security and connection to others.

Co-author Tim Kasser, who teaches at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., offers an explanation for why activists, who tend to be angry about the injustices they perceive, are actually more satisfied.

"It provides you with other kinds of well-being, probably because you know you’re trying to do something about the thing you’re angry about," he said.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org

(2) Bad news: (or OMG we can't have the peasants organizing!)
Credit: Congress.org, Abreem Ali

Article: "Activists can face state fines"
http://www.congress.org/news/2010/05/13 ... tate_fines

Grassroots lobbying requires registration in 36 states.
Citizen activists can run up against the law if they try to organize their neighbors without registering as grassroots lobbyists.

Washington state resident Pat Murakami is trying to get her state law changed, arguing that it hinders free speech. Washingtonians who spend more than $500 a month trying to influence lawmakers have to register and file monthly reports.

The Economist explains:

That sum includes not only cash but also anything else of value, including voluntary labor, the use of office space and so forth. In other words, it could cover nearly any grassroots group.

To comply with the law, Mrs. Murakami must provide details such as the name, address and employer of everyone who helps organize her campaign or who contributes more than $25 in cash or kind to it. All this information is then made public on the Internet.

The article notes that 36 states impose similar rules on grassroots lobbyists, punishing violators in some cases with $10,000 fines and jail time.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org