Leadership
Jefferson Smith
Executive Director
B.A. Political Science, University of Oregon, 1996; JD, Harvard Law School, Magna cum Laude, 1999
Jefferson Smith is the Founding Chair of the Bus Project and has become one of the Northwest’s foremost spokespersons on voter mobilization and engaging new people in the political process. Previous to founding the Bus Project, Smith worked as a lawyer. In 2000, he clerked for the Honorable Judge Goodwin of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Smith is a national speaker for progressive organizations such as the Take Back America Conference, Campus Progress, Young People For, and the Young Democrats of America. The Oregonian labeled Smith as having the “Vision, Youth To Help Us Find A New Path,” and dubbed him “a brilliant speaker.”
Caitlin Baggott
Education Director
BA American Studies, Reed College, Phi Beta Kappa, 1999
A co-founder of the Bus Project, Caitlin Baggott has worked as an educator, public program administrator, and political consultant. In 2000, she ran the first girls program for Alternative Youth Adventures, a wilderness-based therapy program for incarcerated youth. Returning to Portland in 2001, Baggott helped to launch and run Humanities in Perspective, a year-long college program in the humanities for low-income adults sponsored by the Oregon Council for the Humanities. In 2002, Baggott spent a term running the campus and academic program for Ithaka Cultural Studies Program in Greece. Her experiences as a lead instructor and program administrator in these three educational settings prepared her to develop the PolitiCorps Summer Fellowship in 2003, PolitiCorps Year in 2007, and the new Days for Democracy Leaders program to be implemented in 2008. Baggott served on the Bus Project Board from 2002 until 2006, when she joined the organization as a staff person.
Organization’s Objective
The Bus Project addresses three needs: to engage young people in the political process, educate voters about critical issues, and make a difference around progressive issues.
The Leadership Development Gap
While conservative organizations invest millions in training programs, the progressive movement has failed to prioritize long-term training and leadership development. Aspiring public sector leaders have far fewer opportunities for formal training than budding leaders in the private sector, and the number of talented young people seeking jobs in the political and nonprofit spheres is in decline. In the 1970s, for example, 75 percent of Kennedy School of Government graduates went into public service; thirty years later, in the late ‘90s, that portion had dropped to 33 percent.
Young Voter Apathy
Youth voting had declined in every election since 18 year olds were given the right to vote in 1972. But increases in 2004 and 2006 show that young people can be engaged around progressive issues. The challenge ahead is to ensure that the past two election cycles are the beginning of a trend, rather than a temporary spike.
In addition, efforts must be made to deepen political involvement among young people. Although 40% of young people will volunteer for something over the course of a year, only 2-3% will volunteer for a political cause or a political candidate. Studies show that civic habits developed in youth predict future civic involvement, which means that engaging young people is critical to the future of our democracy.
Progressive Policy
At the turn of the century, Oregon’s progressive reputation was in danger. The state legislature that had created the bottle bill, public beaches, the minimum wage, and land use planning was now dealing blows to education, the environment, and public safety.
Victory in 2008 and Beyond
