The Court, 2010
independent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruptionCitizens United v. FEC, majority opinion6
Principles
People First Politics
Politicians should work for the people who elect them, not the people who fund them. Here is what the Constitution says, and what we want.
Our Principles
Understanding the Loop
- 1Voters First
Politicians work for their constituents.
Not for the donors who fund their campaigns.
- 2We Decide
Democracy decides where we spend.
Our taxes should build our own communities first.
- 3The Pitch
Donors spend to convince you otherwise.
Ads and think tanks sell common sense as radical.
- 4The Distraction
Politicians distract with poisoned rhetoric.
A fight over words keeps your eyes off the bill.
- 5The Outliers
It’s our job to vote in the outliers.
The ones that put constituents first.
- 6Follow the Money
Follow all the money. It’s not complicated.
Every number on this site links to its source.
The System
How Public Filings Become a Guide for Your Ballot
01Public Data
- FEC filingsevery morning
- Outside moneyby race, dated
- Report cardsgrades
02Research
- Race files12 races
- Sourcesevery number
03Your Ballot
- Your ZIP codein your browser
- Your addressoptional
- Saved ballotsby precinct
04Checks
- Files and linksbefore sending
- Privacynothing kept
05Your Guides
- Desktopfull guide
- Phonein line
- PrintElection Day
Citizens BallotPublic data in, your ballot out. Nothing is sold, and paying never changes a pick.
- 01
Public Data Only
FEC filings and open research, read without logins. Anyone can check our math.
- 02
A Source for Every Number
Every figure links to where it came from. If we can’t source it, it doesn’t ship.
- 03
Your Ballot, Then Gone
We email your guides, then delete your email and address. Nothing is sold.
The Text
Power Starts with Voters
We the People of the United States … do ordain and establish this Constitution
Every office the Constitution creates exists to serve the public.
Preamble1Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States
Representatives answer to voters, and face them every two years on purpose.
Article I, Section 21The Design
Every Vote Counts the Same
an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, the people
The House was built to depend on voters, and on no one else.
Federalist No. 524Not the rich, more than the poor … The electors are to be the great body of the people of the United States.
The framers promised representation wouldn't tilt toward wealth. Unlimited spending tilts it.
Federalist No. 575Where It Breaks
Is Spending Money Free Speech?
The Dissent
[corporations] are not themselves members of "We the People" by whom and for whom our Constitution was establishedJustice Stevens, dissenting6
Our Answer
Speech, Yes. Scale, No.
Everyone has the right to speak and to petition the government, which is why lobbying itself is legal. The problem is scale. When a few donors can outspend millions of voters, one person, one vote stops meaning much.7
What We Want
Government for Voters
An amendmentLet voters set limits on election spending again.
Full disclosureEvery dollar behind a political ad traced to a real person.
Small-donor powerPublic matching for small gifts, so candidates can run on their voters' money.
Clean officeholdersNo corporate PAC money and no stock trading in Congress.
Sources
Read the Originals
- 1The Constitution, full text, National Archives
- 2Amendments XI to XXVII, National Archives
- 3The election case of William A. Clark of Montana, U.S. Senate
- 4Federalist No. 52, Avalon Project, Yale Law School
- 5Federalist No. 57, Avalon Project, Yale Law School
- 6Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), opinions, Supreme Court
- 7Reynolds v. Sims (1964), one person, one vote, Oyez