The most important issue we are facing as a country is our ever-shrinking democracy, says American Promise Communications Director Gregory Joseph. That is why “American Promise is having conversations at kitchen tables and boardrooms across the country—from Maine to Alaska and all parts in between—to talk about the influence of money. And how Americans can restore and regain our voice in the political system, which is currently being drowned out by wealthy millionaires, billionaires, and corporate special interests,” Gregory says in this powerful interview on Citybizlist.
In the interview, Gregory highlights the ripple effects of big money in politics, and shares how we can work together to repair and revive our democracy. “Once the money is out of politics, then we’ll see a more representative government,” he says.
Getting big money out of our political system will allow us to address the systemic issues that our country is facing, Gregory says, whether those issues are climate change, gun manufacturing, or education. “We’ll be able to have an actual debate on some of the systemic problems that really face our country and really dive into these problems and solve them once and for all when money’s not playing that big role,” he says.
In November, we watched as the 2020 election season broke records with $14 billion in political spending. Then, in January, the spotlight was on big businesses that paused their political contributions following the insurrection at the Capitol. While commendable, a temporary and voluntary pause on political spending isn’t enough. A majority of Americans across the political spectrum support a Constitutional amendment that would place reasonable limits on political spending — permanently.
“The American people are behind this issue,” Gregory says. “Of all of the issues that are out there on the world stage and on the national stage, [when] you really think about it, there’s not a lot that unites Americans. But on the issue of reforming our national elections and getting money out of politics, we’re all united.”
We invite you to join our grassroots, citizen-led movement at our upcoming National Citizen Leadership Conference. This conference brings Americans together to build the skills, grow the inspiration, and continue the momentum to further our movement. Free registration for the conference and lobby day experience is open now. “When the American people are speaking in one unified voice, you can’t ignore it,” Gregory says.
