Young Americans have historically been important in advancing reform movements in our nation. Alexander Hamilton and Betsy Ross were in their early 20s during the American Revolution. Frederick Douglass was 23 years old when he took the stage at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Alice Paul, through her 20s, led the fight for the 19th Amendment and women’s voting rights.
Now, our nation’s youth must come together once again to address the Cause of Our Time: getting big money out of politics.
In a recent op-ed published by The Fulcrum, American Promise Outreach Manager Wambui Gatheru explained why this issue, out of all the pressing issues young Americans face, must be addressed first. “Big money forces are actively blocking measures to keep us and our planet safe,” she says. “Nearly everywhere you find an issue perpetuated by government inaction, you can follow the money back to groups, businesses or organizations that have a vested interest in the status quo.”
Her message reinforces a call to action at the third National Citizen Leadership Conference in October, when American Promise and more than 50 college students launched the Cause of Our Time program calling on young Americans to rally around the movement to end big money domination of our elections. Fixing our broken campaign finance system is a bold goal that takes a bold solution: a Constitutional amendment.
