The 2008 financial crisis devastated millions of lives, yet not a single executive went to jail. Instead, taxpayers bailed out the same banks that caused the collapse—banks that have only grown larger, more opaque, and more politically entrenched since then. This is not just a failure of regulation; it’s a betrayal of democracy.

We cannot wait for another crisis to act. The patterns of deregulation, impunity, and systemic risk outlined in The Captured Republic make clear that without meaningful reform, history will repeat itself—with even greater consequences. Join us in demanding structural changes to hold Wall Street accountable and restore power to the people.

Why We Must Act Now:

• Too Big to Fail = Too Dangerous to Exist: A handful of megabanks dominate our economy, wielding unprecedented influence over government policy while exposing taxpayers to unimaginable risks. Their size and interconnectedness make them impossible to dismantle safely during a crisis.
• Impunity Breeds Corruption: Over the past four decades, fines have replaced prosecutions, settlements have shielded executives, and whistleblowers have been silenced. Criminal accountability has been erased from the equation, leaving no deterrent against reckless behavior.
• Democracy Under Siege: When private financial institutions dictate public outcomes—from bailouts to legislative loopholes—the social contract breaks down. Citizens lose faith in governance, and inequality deepens as profits are privatized while losses are socialized.

 
What We’re Fighting For:

This petition calls on lawmakers, regulators, and citizens to take bold action to reclaim our financial system before it claims us. Specifically, we demand:

1.  Structural Breakups: Reinstate Glass-Steagall firewalls to separate commercial banking from high-risk speculation. Break up “too big to fail” institutions into smaller, manageable entities that can compete fairly without threatening global stability.
2. Criminal Accountability: Prosecute individuals—not just corporations—for financial crimes. End the era of deferred prosecution agreements and ensure personal liability for CEOs and executives who oversee fraudulent or reckless practices.
3. Transparency and Oversight: Mandate full disclosure of derivative exposures, off-balance-sheet activities, and shadow banking operations. Close regulatory gaps that allow benchmark manipulation and cross-border laundering to flourish unchecked.
4. Public Banking Options: Establish state and municipal public banks to provide affordable credit, support local economies, and reduce dependence on predatory private lenders.
5. Campaign Finance Reform: Sever the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington by banning lobbying and campaign contributions from financial firms with felony convictions within the past decade.
6. Global Cooperation: Work with international partners to end offshore secrecy havens, regulate cross-border capital flows, and prevent emerging markets from being exploited through debt traps and rigged trade deals.

 
The choice before us is stark: continue down a path where crises become predictable events funded by ordinary citizens, or take a stand now to break the cycle of capture and reclaim economic sovereignty.

By signing this petition, you join a growing movement of citizens demanding real change—not empty promises or cosmetic reforms. Together, we can pressure legislators to prioritize the public interest over private profit and rewrite the rules of finance so they work for everyone, not just the wealthiest few.

Sign today and share this petition widely. Let’s send a message loud enough to echo from Main Street to Wall Street: Enough is enough. It’s time to #BreakTheCycle.

Every signature matters. Every voice counts. By uniting behind these concrete demands, we can transform outrage into action—and build a financial system rooted in justice, transparency, and accountability.

Let’s prove that democracy still has the power to reclaim what’s been stolen.

Sign now. Share now. Stand up for a fairer future.

Inspired by the book The Captured Republic : How Wall Street’s Banking Cartel Strangled Democracy—and Set Up the Next Crash. Learn more at https://freetherepublic.org