In this interview, American Promise’s Young Americans Network Coordinator Grace Hall is joined by Tishya Banka, a senior at Plano West Senior High School and a member of American Promise’s Young Americans Council, to discuss the role of young people in getting money out of politics.
Can you start by telling me a little bit about yourself?
I’m Tisha, and I’m a senior at Plano West Senior High School. I’m also the youngest member of the Young Americans Council. I’m very involved in various policy and political advocacy initiatives, and I’m really interested in the innovation and research side of science and engineering topics as well.
Getting money out of politics isn’t necessarily an issue at the forefront of young people’s minds. How did you first become interested in campaign finance reform?
My first introduction to campaign finance was because I’m an active competitor in congressional debate, and I happened to come upon a debate policy topic over the Citizens United vs. FEC Supreme Court ruling. As I began researching, I was pretty shocked that the ruling was in favor of corporations spending an unlimited amount of money on elections. I was intrigued by their citing of the First Amendment as the cause as well. Since then, my passion for the topic has grown.
In your opinion, why is getting rid of corruption and dark money in our political system so important for young people?
The lack of transparency that’s a result of dark money is what makes money in politics especially problematic for younger generations. Having confidence that our votes and voices actually matter is what motivates us to get involved. The lack of transparency makes it more difficult to make informed decisions. Additionally, loopholes within the system give way to a lot of foreign actors. It’s pretty important to know if any foreign actors are interfering in our elections and who exactly they are.
What is one issue that you would like to address with the passage of the For Our Freedom Amendment?
One issue that I’d like to address is technological innovation. Tech innovation has been skyrocketing in recent years, specifically within the private sector. The issue, however, is that the public sector hasn’t been keeping up with the rapid pace of innovation. Right now, there’s not much emphasis on having tech policy at the forefront of our political agendas. With the passage of the For Our Freedom Amendment, I’d hope to increase the influence that Americans have on how much tech policy is being prioritized.
What are some things that you hope to accomplish during your time on the young Americans Council?
During my time on the council, I would like to make a tangible impact in my own community and beyond. Young Americans across the country are becoming aware of the influence of money in politics and the comparatively little influence that their voice has in determining election outcomes and in the making of policy. Getting information out to other young people and making them aware that they actually have the power to make change is crucial. I’d like to equip young Americans with the tools to make change by educating them about the For Our Freedom Amendment and helping them to get involved with American Promise. Overall, I hope to create a self-sustaining system where, after my two years are up, I have made a real impact.
How are you politically involved in your own community? And what advice would you give to other young people who would like to get involved but are not sure where to begin?
I started my political journey interning with a senator in my home state of Texas. I took the internship because I wanted to learn about how political activism works and how I can make a change in my community. I also joined the politics for teens club at my school. Every month we have lectures on how current events across the world have been shaping geopolitics and foreign policy in America. Lastly, like I mentioned earlier, I’m very interested in technology as well. I realized that my community had low voter turnout, so I created an algorithm to figure out how to get more people to the polls. I’m just hoping to take a stab at any solutions that are within my reach. Start by getting involved in your own community.
What would you say to other young people as a call to action?
You have the power to change, so just take action.
