Pay-to-play benefits only a handful of ultra-wealthy, multinational corporations while small and midsize businesses are forced to shoulder the economic burden. That is why American Promise joined forces with business leaders to create the National Business Network. Recently, the International Business Times wrote about the rising business response to pay-to-play politics in the wake of Citizens United and highlighted how the National Business Network plans to take a leading role in the movement.
Many business leaders in the United States realize that pay-to-play politics and unlimited political spending have been detrimental to the principles of innovation and competition that have been the bedrock of our market-based system. When the most profitable companies are granted greater access to politicians and have a greater voice in the policymaking process, they get to write the rules, and small and midsize businesses are forced to shoulder a greater economic burden.
In this constantly escalating political spending arms race, large companies have been able to buy out their competitors while brick-and-mortar stores shutter across the country. Business leaders who see the perils this system will yield if left unchecked have joined forces with American Promise to form the National Business Network.
Already, more than 100 business leaders have signed the NBN Statement of Principle, gaining the attention of the International Business Times.
“A recent letter from [NBN] to International Business Times cited ‘110 business leaders across 16 states calling for a Constitutional Amendment to overturn’ the Citizens United case,” reporter Bobby Ilich writes. “The signees include Philadelphia Phillies part-owner William Buck, Salesforce’s Peter Schwartz, Ben Cohen from Ben & Jerry’s and Wells Fargo former VP Judy Nagel.”
Because many politicians mistakenly assume that most companies benefit from the current system, business leaders have the unique opportunity to ask them to change the rules and strengthen the free market and the integrity of our elections. If you are a business leader and want to join the NBN, consider signing the Statement of Principle.
