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The Center's affiliate organization, Western State Strategies, is continuing our traditional work on campaign finance reform, supporting voter-owned elections and promoting a more transparent election system that expands democracy.
   
   
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  IN THE REGION  
     
 

Western States Center plays a key movement-building role in the intermountain West. For nearly 20 years, the Center has worked with grassroots leaders and organizations building progressive power and winning progressive social change. We have kept our finger on the pulse of public policy and studied how wedge issues play out in the region. We have helped to move a proactive social justice agenda in predominantly white and conservative states. So, we are often asked what defines the progressive movement "out West."

  
     
     
 

ABOUT THE WEST

Our region can be characterized by a vast, divided physical and social geography. From the progressive "ecotopia" of the Pacific Northwest to predominantly conservative rangeland to Indian country, the West reveals enormous differences in landscape, culture and ideology. The region contains some of the whitest states in the union, yet race looms large in the West—the need for racial justice organizing is especially intense precisely because communities of color are smaller, diverse, isolated from each other and more effectively marginalized by the dominant community. A strong independent spirit and libertarian philosophy runs through the West, but right wing groups often use the West as a testing ground, funding divisive ballot measures that attack immigrants, people of color, LGBT communities and poor families.
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  Western States Center helps diverse progressive constituencies understand where their struggles overlap and interconnect. Our programs allow allies to break out of single-issue "silos" and work collaboratively. While party pundits mull over red and blue maps, Western progressives have been building our sense of shared values, honing our strategies for building power, sharpening our political analyses, and forging relationships and alliances with the broader movement and with one another—long term strategies for progressive social change that will ultimately succeed.  
     
 
 
     
  STATEWIDE PROGRESSIVE COALITIONS  
     
  Alone, few organizations can win significant policy reform. Working together, we can have a much broader impact. For that reason, Western States Center supports the development of permanent, multi-issue statewide coalitions. Several times during the year, Western States Center brings together coalition directors to analyze and discuss public policy issues in the West, and to share and develop strategies for building power and strengthening networks throughout the region.  
     
 
Statewide Progressive Coalitions in the Region
Equality State Policy Center (WY) - The Equality State Policy Center consists of a nontraditional coalition of Wyoming organizations working together on state government accountability and citizen access issues. ESPC is a progressive "think tank" that utilizes research, public education and advocacy to advance a cooperative work program designed to establish and maintain accountability in state government and to substantially increase citizen participation in and influence over public policy decision making.
Idaho Women's Network (ID) - The Idaho Women's Network unites the voices and interests of Idaho women, families and communities. Through community organizing, advocacy and education, IWN strives to strengthen democracy and promote human rights.
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (NV) - Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) provides a vehicle in Nevada for building consensus and collective strategies among progressives on a range of issues including welfare, immigration, taxes, environment, campaign finance reform, economic justice and reproductive choice.
United Vision for Idaho (ID) - United Vision for Idaho works with diverse organizations to strengthen equality, justice and democracy in Idaho. One striking aspect of the 24 groups that comprise United Vision for Idaho is their diversity. Member organizations range from Church Women United to the Idaho State AFL-CIO, to the Idaho Conservation League, to the Idaho Hispanic Caucus.