A new poll conducted by University of Maryland and a nonpartisan research group Voice of the People came out last week, shedding light on what we already know: 85 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of Republicans want a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United v. FEC (2010) decision, which furthered the court’s interpretation in Buckley v. Valeo (1976), ruling that money is speech and corporations have First Amendment rights, just like people.
This information is not just facts and figures; it’s a call to all Americans to get involved and win a government where people govern, not money.
There’s a ton of ways to get engaged, so pick which one is best for you, and let’s win more than just the polls!
1. Become a member of American Promise!
2. Attend the National Citizen Leadership Conference and Lobby Day from June 22-25th in Washington DC!
3. Get into action with citizen leaders in your community!
4. Ask your candidates for public office to sign the candidate pledge!
Furthermore, the study found that 84 percent of Republicans and 92 percent of Democrats believe ‘reducing the influence of big campaign donors’ was either ‘somewhat important’ or ‘very important’.
Channeling this widespread citizen support into cross-partisan support among our elected officials is our focus.
The Government of Citizens, Not Money report, authored by American Promise, Take Back Our Republic, and Fix It America, lays out over 200 examples of Republicans through all levels of government supporting the 28th Amendment.
Resources like the Government of Citizens, Not Money report and this new University of Maryland poll are powerful resources, but at the end of the day, they are just information. It’s up to us to channel these findings into political power.
In 1787, when asked what kind of government the Constitutional founders had set up, Ben Franklin famously answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Winning the 28th Amendment so people – not money, not special interests, not corporations – govern, is not a partisan issue; it’s an American one. Succeeding is not only our goal, it’s our duty as citizens.
