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Introduction and Summary:

To restore trust in government and ensure elections are fair, transparent, and driven by ideas (not wealth), we call for comprehensive reform to eliminate financial influence in American politics.

 

Specifics:

In light of the undeniable corruption brought to light by the Epstein files and other recent events, we demand that our government is reformed to serve people over profit. We refuse to allow money and political spending to continue influencing politics and feel that our government cannot be trusted as long as those who serve in it stand to receive monetary benefits from outside parties. 

Per the FEC, a total of $15,520,300 was disbursed by PACs during the 2023-2024 election cycle. This is unsettling, as it is a well-known fact that campaign funding increases candidate exposure, which drastically influences public opinion, which impacts election outcomes.

America is currently in a period of intense instability and distrust. Recent PEW research suggests that less than 1 in 5 of us trust the government to do what is right most of the time (15%) or all of the time (2%). This is unacceptable. In these volatile times, the stability of our nation depends on the quality of our leadership. It is essential that we establish a framework through which citizens can clearly identify candidates with a sincere heart for service, thereby electing stewards who will govern with empathy and purpose. 

Before outlining our demands, we must address the Supreme Court rulings in the Citizens United cases and in Buckley v. Valeo, both of which established that political spending is synonymous with protected political speech under the First Amendment – a premise that warrants a modern challenge. Political spending is not equivalent to political speech; the dollar is not the tongue, and wealth should not be a prerequisite for the expression of ideas.

On the contrary, the current scale of campaign spending serves as a prohibitive barrier to many candidates, effectively silencing diverse voices by pricing them out of the public square. In a political era defined by algorithmic reach and microtargeted ads, Congress has a duty to modernize our regulations. We must ensure that a candidate's viability is determined by the strength of their ideas rather than their ability to manipulate digital attention.

Therefore, we demand a comprehensive overhaul of U.S. election procedures, congressional ethics, and political advertising. Our platform prioritizes guaranteed equitable exposure for all candidates, modernized electioneering laws, and strict new limits on congressional trading and salaries.

Although various methods of reform are available, an integrated approach – adopting each of these measures in tandem – is essential to achieving a truly transformative impact on our electoral system.

We the People demand:

• Amend our Constitution to firmly establish that political spending is not political speech, and is, thus, not protected by the First Amendment.
• To ensure a level playing field, candidates – including those running for presidency – should be restricted from self-funding their campaigns. Instead, election cycles should center on publicly funded forums and official digital platforms that provide all candidates with equal exposure and debate access, ensuring that merit, rather than capital, dictates electoral success.
• Abolish all Political Action Committees, including PACs and Super PACs, to eliminate their disproportionate influence over our elections. These entities frequently bypass candidate-controlled messaging through independent expenditures and disingenuous issue advocacy, undermining the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.
• Restrict 501(c)(4) organizations to issue advocacy and lobbying, prohibiting all independent electioneering on behalf of candidates. Current law already bars 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) organizations from political campaigning; there is no logical basis for exempting 'social welfare' organizations from these same standards. Given that 501(c)(3)s provide comparable social benefits without engaging in partisan politics, 501(c)(4)s should be held to the same regulatory oversight.
• Restrict political party committees to coordinated campaigning and bona fide issue advocacy and prohibit independent expenditures on behalf of candidates. While parties should remain free to consult and strategize with their nominees, they should be barred from conducting autonomous, unlimited campaign operations for them.
• Establish a per-election cap on independent campaign spending by individuals and entities – including corporations and labor unions. While the right to political expression is fundamental, the volume of financial capital deployed for advertising should be regulated to ensure a level playing field. Since individual contributions to candidates and PACs are already capped, extending similar limits to independent campaigning is a logical and necessary step to maintain electoral integrity.
• Restrict indirect campaigning conducted under the guise of issue advocacy. This should be achieved by requiring candidates, party committees, and 501(c)(4) organizations to demonstrate a three-year track record of regular advocacy on a specific issue before promoting it during an election cycle. Such a measure would prevent 'issue-based' advertisements from being used as a loophole to influence candidate preference.
• Require 501(c)4s to disclose their donors. This is aimed at increasing transparency and combating dark money and shadow investing.
• Require members of Congress to publicly and thoroughly document all lobbyist engagements, standardizing transparency and eliminating the 'behind-closed-doors' culture of modern lawmaking.
• Restrict federal office eligibility to individuals who:
  • Maintain a record free of felony convictions;
  • Demonstrate a history free from addiction (including gambling) or substance abuse;
  • Possess a record of fiscal responsibility, free from bankruptcies or significant financial instability.
• To safeguard against the influence of unauthentic endorsements and systemic incumbency bias, Vice Presidents should be ineligible to run for the Presidency for a minimum of three terms following their tenure. This ensures that every presidential candidate must earn their mandate independently of their previous proximity to the executive branch.
• A valid U.S. photo identification must be required for all voters.
• Mail-in ballots should be limited strictly to the physically disabled.
• All election results should be reconciled by at least three independent committees to guarantee accuracy.
• Lower congressional salary to be consistent with the average pay of the constituents they serve.
• Ban all stock trading for members of Congress during their tenure and for a length of time preceding it and thereafter. Members of Congress must have no financial incentive to serve in office.
• Social media platforms must no longer be passive observers of the erosion of truth. Congress must mandate:
  • Active Content Moderation – direct requirements for platforms to actively identify and eliminate both misinformation and disinformation.
  • Political Bot Neutralization – a total ban on the use of automated accounts for political activity. By eliminating synthetic interference, we ensure that the digital landscape of American politics is defined by the authentic voices of living citizens rather than programmed scripts.
  • Strict Liability – the imposition of significant civil penalties or criminal liability for platforms that fail to exercise due diligence in securing their ecosystems and complying with these mandates.

While these reforms may seem ambitious, we must remember that the Constitution was designed to be a living document; amendments are a historic and necessary tool for progress. We contend that these challenges can be addressed decisively without infringing upon the fundamental right to free speech.

It is time for money to stop controlling our elections. The correlation between campaign funding and the capacity for media saturation is well-documented; we must recognize how this financial leverage fundamentally shapes public perception and dictates electoral outcomes. By prohibiting this activity entirely, we can give the public a chance to consider all applicants, not just the most affluent.

We are fully aware that all of this must be done together in order to truly cut off the head of corruption. This is what we, your constituents, whom your work for, demand of you now. We expect change - what has been done historically is not working.

Thank you.