League Advocacy

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue only when we have a position addressing that particular issue. Members must study and come to consensus on an issue, in order to form a position. This thorough grassroots process ensures that our advocacy is well considered by a broad range of people, understood by our members, and we have a sense of the political environment.

Affordable Housing:  The Central Kane County League supports governmental and community efforts to ensure affordable, safe and decent housing for the citizens of our towns.

Financing of Public Higher Education:  The Central Kane County League supports the sustained allocation of state funds for public higher education.

Mental/Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disability: The League supports a fully funded comprehensive and coordinated system of treatment, supports, and services for people with mental and behavioral health challenges and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities throughout Kane County.

Position - Climate Change

State and local Leagues, and individual League members, have a critical role to play in helping to limit future climate change and protect the planet. Read more in our Toolkit for Climate Change.

Position - International Relations

Promote peace in an interdependent world by working cooperatively with other nations and strengthening international organizations.

Position - Meeting Basic Human Needs

The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that one of the goals of social policy in the United States should be to promote self-sufficiency for individuals and families and that the most effective social programs are those designed to prevent or reduce poverty. Learn more.

Position - Natural Resources

Promote an environment beneficial to life through the protection and wise management of natural resources in the public interest.

Position - Representative Government

Promote an open governmental system that is representative, accountable and responsive.

Position - Social Policy

Secure equal rights and equal opportunity for all. Promote social and economic justice, and the health and safety of all Americans.

Position - United Nations

The League of Women Voters supports a strong, effective United Nations and endorses the full and active participation of the United States in the UN system. Read our Impact Issues.

In League, Program means the issues that we choose for concerted study, education and action at local, state and national levels. Program can include both education and action.

The Program Planning process is part of what makes the League a grassroots organization; each League member has the opportunity to influence the selection of issues where the local, state, and national League will focus time, talent and money.

Every two years, members of local Leagues engage in Program Planning. Based on the results of this, the Board of Directors makes recommendations to the biennial convention delegates about the program to be adopted for the coming two year period.

The League of Women Voters takes action on an issue only when we have a position addressing it. If the members have not studied and come to consensus on it, the League has no position and therefore cannot take action. Studies (whether national, state, or local) are a defined process lasting one to three years, during which we undertake thorough pursuit of facts and details, both positive and negative, and come to consensus about policy.

Studies from across the nation are in our League of Women Voters Education Fund Clearinghouse for studies.

1. Study Committee members fashion consensus questions that are then asked of the membership as part of a study kit. Kits often include articles, books, data in the form of charts and graphs, videos, suggested speakers, discussion questions, and other resources. Members use the study kit internally and often with their community to better understand the issue.
2. Consensus is the overall decision-making process by which substantial agreement among members is reached on an issue. Often this happens over the course of several meetings, but may include surveys and other methods. If the members reach consensus, the board forms recommended positions based on that consensus. Those recommendations are submitted to the Study Committee.
3. The Study Committee then reviews all the submissions. It works to form a consensus statement - the statement resulting from the consensus questions - that becomes a recommended position.
4. That recommended position is then reviewed and voted on by our members (usually by delegates at our Convention). The proposal may be approved, amended, or be rejected at that time.
5. If a position is adopted, firm action can then be taken on the particular issue addressed by the position. Without a position, action can not be taken on that issue.

Read the National Guidelines for LWVUS Studies