Majority Rules

Please join American University's Women & Politics Institute for a special screening of Majority Rules, the new documentary from veteran filmmaker AJ Schnack (Caucus, Convention), followed by a panel discussion with Melinda Arons, Founder of Arons Advisors, Lisa D. T. Rice, Political Strategist and Board Member of Unite America, and Ruby Coleman, field educator for Grow Democracy DC Civic Education Fund. WPI Executive Director Betsy Fischer Martin will moderate the discussion.

Premiering at the 2024 DC/DOX Film Festival and newly re-released this fall in celebration of National Voter Registration Day, Majority Rules follows Alaska as it becomes the first state to eliminate traditional party primaries and adopt ranked-choice voting. When an unexpected special election, including former Governor Sarah Palin, puts the new system to the test, the results spark fresh alliances, fierce partisan pushback, and a growing national debate about reform.

With America’s democratic experiment mired in division and dysfunction, Majority Rules asks: could changing how Americans vote also change politics for the better? The conversation will also explore how ranked-choice voting may help increase women’s representation in government, creating new pathways for diverse candidates to compete and win.

ABOUT MELINDA ARONS
Melinda Arons is the founder of Arons Advisors, where she advises clients on political communications and social impact, including producing the historic January 6th Committee hearings in 2022. As the former SVP of Social Impact at Participant Media, she built and executed impact campaigns aligned with the company's film slate. Melinda started her career at Fox News and spent twelve years at ABC News as a producer for Good Morning America and Nightline, where she ultimately became the Chief Political Producer and Senior Producer. While at ABC, she won a Peabody and was nominated for multiple Emmys®. In 2013, she joined Facebook to help build their Media Partnerships team, and left in 2016 to join the Hillary For America presidential campaign as the Director of Broadcast Media. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University.
ABOUT LISA D. T. RICE
Lisa D. T. Rice is a political strategist, passionate about reform and political innovation. She is active in bringing productive change to U.S. politics. An independent, Lisa advocates for a stronger American democracy rooted in active participation by a plurality of citizens and loosening the grip of the two-party duopoly. Lisa joined the Unite America board of directors in 2017.

A federal campaign finance expert, Lisa has an extensive background in political management. Recognized as a transformative leader, she is a dynamic keynote speaker; women’s leadership mentor; and impactful cancer policy advocate. Lisa is the Vice Chair of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) board of directors. An alumna of all-women’s Newcomb College, she is the immediate past president of the Newcomb Alumnae Association board of directors.

She holds a master’s degree in Management from the MIT Sloan School and a B.A. degree from the Newcomb College of Tulane University.

ABOUT RUBY COLEMAN
Ruby Coleman is passionate about women's representation and electoral reform and has an extensive background in these fields.

She is currently a political intern at The First Ask and field educator for Grow Democracy DC Civic Education Fund. Previously she was a grassroots organizer for Rank the Vote, where she promoted the “Yes on 83” campaign (for ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries in DC) through press releases and media advisories, resulting in voters approving the ballot initiative by 73 percent.

She received both her master’s degree in Political Communication and bachelor’s degree in Political Science from American University.

ABOUT BETSY FISCHER MARTIN
Betsy Fischer Martin is an Emmy-winning journalist and former TV news executive. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University and a faculty member in the School of Public Affairs, where she teaches courses on campaigns and elections. In the fall of 2023, she was a resident fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics where she conducted a weekly seminar on the presidential election. During her earlier career in television news, she spent 23 years at NBC News serving as the longtime Executive Producer of Meet the Press with Tim Russert and as the Managing Editor of NBC News Political Programming.

She currently serves on the Global Board of Directors of the International Women’s Forum and is the immediate past president of its Washington, D.C. chapter. She is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Young Global Leader alumna of the World Economic Forum, and a member of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council.

A native of New Orleans, Fischer Martin did her undergraduate and graduate work at American University in Washington, DC. She is a cum laude graduate of their School of Public Affairs and earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the AU School of Communication.

This event is “open to all” and participation is not limited based on any individual’s personal identity or characteristics, including but not limited to race, color, national origin (or shared ancestry), religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status.

ABOUT THE WOMEN & POLITICS INSTITUTE

The nonpartisan Women & Politics Institute at American University provides academic training to young women that encourages them to become involved in the political process and facilitates research by faculty and students that enhances our understanding of the challenges and opportunities women face in the political arena.

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