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Political Cartoon of the Week | April 15, 2021

The widespread effects of big money political spending make it nearly impossible to ignore. Cartoonists, noticing the myriad connections between such spending and the issues plaguing our nation, have used their craft to highlight how big money corrupts our democracy, advances warfare, furthers climate change and, in general,… Read more

Jeff Clements: Big Money in Politics Is Squashing Innovation, Investment, and Equal Representation for Businesses | April 14, 2021

Unlimited political spending has dire effects across society and the economy. Outsized spending from the wealthiest industries, corporations and individuals means small business owners don’t have an equal voice or representation in our political system, creating a top-heavy economy that favors large-scale multinational corporations with access to concentrated… Read more

Spiral of Silence Video by Noah Hutton | April 7, 2021

[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Spiral-of-Silence1.mp4" poster="https://americanpromise.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Spiral-of-Silence-Twit.png"][/video] Despite the prevailing narrative that Americans are hopelessly divided on every issue, there is one thing that 75% of Americans agree on — ending big money in politics. Unlimited political spending has forced us into a Spiral of Silence, where we feel that… Read more

Gregory Joseph: ‘Once the money is out of politics, then we’ll see a more representative government’ | March 30, 2021

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… Read more

Donor Spotlight: Barbara Fleischman | March 22, 2021

Barbara Fleischman is a professional volunteer and philanthropist who is currently a trustee for the New York Public Library, The Frick Collection and the Juilliard School. Barbara is Board Chair Emerita for the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art, founded by her husband Lawrence A. Fleischman and considered… Read more

We the People: Real Citizens United to Save Our Republic | March 16, 2021

In the time since the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, Americans across the nation have seen its devastating effects: Election spending by the wealthiest individuals and untraceable dark money groups has skyrocketed, faith in the institution of representative democracy is historically low, and legislative outcomes no longer… Read more

Brian Boyle: An Amendment to Center “We the People” in Our Constitution | February 25, 2021

In a new Issue Brief originally published by the American Constitution Society, American Promise Counsel Brian Boyle says the current intersectional systemic crises — economic, political, and social — present another opportunity in U.S. history for foundational lawmaking. Brian shares why now is the time for Americans to… Read more

Alaskans Unite in Support of the 28th Amendment | February 18, 2021

We’re led to believe that Americans can’t unite. We’re led to believe that Americans can’t agree, and we’re incapable of coalescing around a single policy issue. While the story we seem to want to write is how America is slipping further away, when it comes to the issue… Read more

Rep. Raskin: Leading Calls for the Integrity of Our Democracy | February 16, 2021

Shortly after suffering the loss of his 25-year-old son, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) stepped up to take the lead in the case for the impeachment of former President Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the insurrection at the nation’s Capitol. A seasoned constitutional scholar, Rep. Raskin’s… Read more

Retired Senator Tom Udall Constantly Championed the 28th Amendment | February 12, 2021

American Promise is proud to work with people across the political spectrum and across the country — including representatives and citizen leaders — who align on our mission to get big money out of politics... Read more

Amendment to Give Voice to the American People Gets Rare Bipartisan Introduction in Congress | February 9, 2021

Amid ongoing political division in our nation, the unified call to end the domination of big money in our elections—supported by 75% of Americans—is overcoming divides in Congress, where it is the subject of rare bipartisan support.  On Jan. 21, the 11th anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme… Read more

Reverend Dr. William Barber II is the Leader the Modern Civil Rights Movement Needs | February 3, 2021

Systemic racism, rampant income disparity, social segregation and a wide array of other factors support a system of inequality in our nation, in which the needs of the wealthy take precedence over the needs of everyone else. The domination of concentrated wealth in our political system further drives… Read more

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Special Content Pages:

Brian Boyle: An Amendment to Center “We the People” in Our Constitution

America is in crisis. The convergence in 2020 of the Covid-19 pandemic and the interrelated crises of economy, racial justice, political violence, climate disasters, and a collapse of trust has laid bare the danger and high stakes we Americans now face. Our constitutional democracy and commitment to the American promise of human liberty, equal citizenship, and effective self-government are in urgent need of repair and renewal. Read More

Keep the Promise: America250

America is in crisis. The convergence in 2020 of the Covid-19 pandemic and the interrelated crises of economy, racial justice, political violence, climate disasters, and a collapse of trust has laid bare the danger and high stakes we Americans now face. Our constitutional democracy and commitment to the American promise of human liberty, equal citizenship, and effective self-government are in urgent need of repair and renewal. Read More

#ChallengeAccepted: The American Promise Amendment + Reinventing Democracy for the 21st Century

Americans are in a huge moment of possibility for profound reform, and in that we can find hope. In the midst of systemic failures—in our economy, society, government—American citizens are rising to the challenge of reshaping our democracy for the 21st century and beyond. Read More

Building Support in Congress

Passing a constitutional amendment is difficult by design: the only way to achieve it is with widespread, cross-partisan support driven by grassroots action. While there are two routes to passing a constitutional amendment, only one method has ever been successfully used—acquiring two-thirds support from both houses of Congress and approval by three-quarters of the states. Read More

Money in Politics and Health Care

Big money political spending affects all facets of our society, including our nation’s health-care system. Lobbying from health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and other health care-related interests has resulted in a dysfunctional system that is more expensive and provides less coverage than those in other developed countries. Read more

A History of People Power

Throughout our nation’s history, citizen leaders have coalesced around reform movements that expand our fundamental rights to broader coalitions of Americans and improve our democratic self-governance—often through the amendment process. Read more

7 Critical Democracy Reforms: Which Are Most Important to You?

There are several election reforms at the core of the nascent democracy movement growing in the United States, and the prospect that we need to pass constitutional amendments to fix some of the structural issues is gaining traction. Read more
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