Common Cause chairman advocates campaign reform

Derek Bok, Harvard University president emeritus, said he spent "many happy hours watching Harvard trample the Princeton Tigers." He comes to campus today — the home of men's basketball Ivy League champions — with a less boastful, more serious purpose.

Bok — current chairman of the non-profit campaign reform advocacy group Common Cause — will speak on campaign reform today at the University in a lecture entitled "Setting New Jersey's Campaign Reform Agenda in 2001." The event will be held at 4:30 in Dodds Auditorium in Robertson Hall.

Bok said his work in the area of governmental reform has been a consuming interest of his for years. He said he is especially concerned with campaign finance reform and supports public action to improve political fundraising policies.

Author of several books on the subject, Bok has concluded that the general public has the power to control the abuses in the campaign finance system.

"A more fundamental cause of problems is that the public exaggerates the role of special interests and underestimates its own influence," he said.

Bok characterized today's speech as an attempt to continue the momentum for governmental reform already begun at the grassroots level in New Jersey. He also plans to "trace the apathy towards government of the majority of American citizens."

"I am [giving this speech] to support the efforts of the New Jersey chapter of Common Cause," Bok said. "I will mainly be talking about several issues: campaign finance reform, the problem of civic apathy and the need for really trying to strengthen citizens' role in government."

In 1998, Bok published "The Shape of the River," a book he co-wrote with University president emeritus William G. Bowen. The book focuses on race-sensitive admissions and affirmative action in higher education.

The two men have been friends for 30 years since their days as presidents of two of the nation's foremost universities, according to Bowen.

On the experience of working on the book with Bok, Bowen said, "He was terrific. It was a great pleasure to work with him. I consider him a good friend and someone from whom I have learned a lot."

Others, too, may soon be able to learn from Bok through his new book to be published this month — "The Trouble With Government."

"The book will basically address three issues," Bok said. "First of all, it asks, 'Can we say, as most Americans believe, that our government is not working well, and how can we know that?' "

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"Secondly, assuming that evidence says [the government] is not working well, what are the most serious problems, and why do they arise under our system of government? Thirdly, the book considers various ways by which we might improve matters," he added.

Bok said he hopes this visit will spur students to reform government.

"I am particularly happy to be on the Princeton campus because, as Woodrow Wilson said, Princeton is educating students in the nation's service," Bok said. "I am looking forward to speaking on the part young people can play in reviving that ideal [of service to the nation] that has suffered across the country of late."