Corporations are not Citizens!

Thanks in part to Citizen’s United, politicians are beholden to corporations and the wealthy, not to the general public. That’s the opposite of how things should be.

Mitt Romney doesn't know what people are

“Corporations are people, my friend.” Mitt Romney, Aug. 11, 2011

This creates too much power for corporations and the super-wealthy who are willing to spend to get their way. Even worse, it encourages people to run for office for the wrong reasons, and it undermines confidence in our entire system of government. Why should we trust people to make decisions for us if we don’t believe they are there to serve our best interests?

Most Americans are against this type of corporate spending, but may not feel they have any power to change it. And in many ways, they are right: it’s up to the very politicians who benefit from it to make the change. But we can put pressure on them.

Just like most people believe that the way money influences elections is wrong, people also believe that it’s possible to have laws that would limit that influence and give power back to everyday people. But we need to push lawmakers to make that happen.

Every year since Citizens United decision, Adam Schiff (D-CA) has introduced a constitutional amendment that would overturn the ruling, letting states and Congress put limits on corporate spending and create public funding of campaigns. It’s a baby step. It’s not nearly enough. But it’s a step.

What you can do!

Contact your representatives

Ask them to support a Constitutional Amendment limiting election spending.

text CONGRESS to 50409 to let resist.bot help you contact all your reps (it can also be found on most social media)

Get involved in local elections

Campaigns in your city are where you can make a big difference even without much money.

Run for office

If you are over 18, think about running for office yourself. For many local offices, if you’re old enough to vote, you’re old enough to run.