Corporations and the wealthy have enough advantages without being able to influence every election by putting up millions of dollars and bending the ear of every candidate and officeholder.
In the wake of the Citizens United ruling (and the lesser-known Buckley v. Valeo decision), money has flooded our political system like never before. A handful of wealthy individuals can now raise a voice louder than millions of ordinary Americans put together. The flood of money in politics has led to increased mistrust and disenchantment in our government, and rightly so. Big money in politics is far more likely to support candidates who will protect the interest of the wealthy that elected these candidates in the first place.
Super PACs can accept unlimited contributions, and disclosure requirements allow donations to be funneled through nonprofits until they can’t be traced to their original source - this is Dark Money. Super PAC spending in federal elections more than doubled between 2010 and 2012. Swing states such as Pennsylvania, Florida, and North Carolina see the largest Dark Money spending, undoubtedly seeing their elections influenced by wealthy donors that have no ties to the state itself.
We must return to the essence of democracy - where each person’s vote is heard and treated equally. I will gladly push for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and return the American government to its people. We need to end Super PACs, drown out their influence, and stop pretending that corporations have equal rights to people.
Problems to be Solved
- checkMoney has become the dominant force in our elections as wealthy individuals and corporations increasingly demand the attention of candidates and policymakers.
- checkPeople don’t believe that their voices matter, often because they don’t have meaningful access.
- checkCandidates and officeholders spend the majority of their time fundraising rather than governing or finding solutions.
- Money has overrun our politics, and that needs to change. Corporations and the wealthy have enough advantages without being able to influence every election by putting up millions of dollars and bending the ear of every candidate and officeholder. We will return to the essence of democracy - where each person’s vote is heard and treated equally. I will gladly overturn Citizens United and return the American government to its people. This would also improve policymaking as leaders can turn toward solutions instead of constantly trying to raise money for their next campaign. Let’s get big money out of politics once and for all—we’ll all be much better off for it. I don’t love calling rich people either, nor does any sane person.
Goals
- checkImprove candidate responsiveness to the concerns of ordinary Americans
- checkReduce corporate influence and outsize influence of the wealthy
- checkMake it so that more people can run for office without having ready access to vast financial resources
As President I will...
- Support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and Valeo, which were terrible decisions that have made our politics even more polarized.
- Eliminate super PACs and vessels for corporate intervention in campaigns.
- Appoint judges who don’t believe corporations have the same rights as people.