The Problem
The United States government is no longer accountable to the people.
The framers of the Constitution intended that the Congress of the United States of America should be "dependent on the people alone," but that dependency has evolved from a dependency on the people alone to a dependency on powerful special interests, through campaigns or third-party groups, that has created a fundamental imbalance in our representative form of government. When our elected officials must spend so much of their time courting corporations, unions, and big money donors who can afford to purchase influence, representation is distorted, and laws subsequently get passed that reflect what a tiny percentage of the population want, rather than what would benefit the majority of Americans.
“Money’s dominance over politics is a top problem our nation faces. It prevents us from tackling anything else. We have reached a stunning point: Either we are a country that makes decisions based on the common good, or one where the size of your wallet determines the worth of your ideas. Either we uphold the values of a representative democracy or we allow greed and wealth to destroy the great American experiment in self-governance.”
— Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY)
“The need for real campaign finance reform is not a progressive issue. It is not a conservative issue. It is an American issue. It is an issue that should concern all Americans, regardless of their political point of view, who wish to preserve the essence of the longest standing democracy in the world, a government that represents all of the people and not a handful of powerful and wealthy special interests.”
— U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT)
When our elected officials must spend up to 70% of their time raising money they are no longer able to do the work of the people, as they were sent to Washington D.C. to do.
There is tangible proof that the United States government does not represent the people.
Independent studies, such as one conducted by Professors Martin Gilens of Princeton University and Benjamin Page of Northwestern University, have confirmed that public opinion holds "only a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy.” This same research identified a measurable correlation between what those who could afford lobbyists wanted, and what laws were ultimately passed by Congress.
“Our nation is facing a crisis of liberty if we do not control campaign expenditures. We must prove that elective office is not for sale. We must convince the public that elected officials are what James Madison intended us to be, agents of the sovereign people, not the hired hands of rich givers...”
— Former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)
“We can't solve any of the problems that this nation must address until we fix the crippled and corrupted institution of Congress first.”
— Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig
“We know now that government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob.”
— Franklin D. Roosevelt
We will not be able to solve any of the critical issues facing us as Americans until we have a government that is accountable to the people. It is urgent that we take action today so that we do not leave this problem for future generations.
We have a plan to End Corruption and ensure Free & Fair Elections.