The Overwhelming Consensus Against Citizens United
Year in which the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision struck down restrictions on political spending, including secret spending by outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns or parties: 2010
Since the decision, amount in unlimited contributions that's poured into federal elections: $1.5 billion
Of that total, amount for which no donors have been disclosed: $500 million
According to an in-depth survey conducted last year, percent of Americans who say the system for funding political campaigns needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt: 85
Percent of Democrats who say that: 84
Percent of Republicans who agree: 81
Number of Americans who've signed petitions to date supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: more than 5 million
Number of states that have called for such an amendment, with West Virginia so far the only one in the South: 16
Number of local governments that have endorsed the amendment: 681
Of those local governments that want to overturn Citizens United, number in the South: 43
Year in which a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in support of such an amendment: 2014
Date on which that amendment was re-introduced in the 114th Congress: 4/28/2015
Date on which Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina became the first Republican to sign on to the amendment: 11/5/2015
Date on which Ron Fein, legal director of the campaign-finance watchdog group Free Speech for People, announced that given the successes of the reform movement it was time to move from defense to offense with litigation: 1/21/2016
Date on which a mass march calling for an immediate end to big-money corruption in politics will kick off at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and head to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign called Democracy Spring: 4/2/2016
Number of people who've already pledged to risk arrest at the U.S. Capitol as part of that campaign: 1,500
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We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Year in which the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision struck down restrictions on political spending, including secret spending by outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns or parties: 2010
Since the decision, amount in unlimited contributions that's poured into federal elections: $1.5 billion
Of that total, amount for which no donors have been disclosed: $500 million
According to an in-depth survey conducted last year, percent of Americans who say the system for funding political campaigns needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt: 85
Percent of Democrats who say that: 84
Percent of Republicans who agree: 81
Number of Americans who've signed petitions to date supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: more than 5 million
Number of states that have called for such an amendment, with West Virginia so far the only one in the South: 16
Number of local governments that have endorsed the amendment: 681
Of those local governments that want to overturn Citizens United, number in the South: 43
Year in which a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in support of such an amendment: 2014
Date on which that amendment was re-introduced in the 114th Congress: 4/28/2015
Date on which Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina became the first Republican to sign on to the amendment: 11/5/2015
Date on which Ron Fein, legal director of the campaign-finance watchdog group Free Speech for People, announced that given the successes of the reform movement it was time to move from defense to offense with litigation: 1/21/2016
Date on which a mass march calling for an immediate end to big-money corruption in politics will kick off at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and head to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign called Democracy Spring: 4/2/2016
Number of people who've already pledged to risk arrest at the U.S. Capitol as part of that campaign: 1,500
(Click on figure to go to source. To comment on or to share this index, click here. )
Year in which the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision struck down restrictions on political spending, including secret spending by outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns or parties: 2010
Since the decision, amount in unlimited contributions that's poured into federal elections: $1.5 billion
Of that total, amount for which no donors have been disclosed: $500 million
According to an in-depth survey conducted last year, percent of Americans who say the system for funding political campaigns needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt: 85
Percent of Democrats who say that: 84
Percent of Republicans who agree: 81
Number of Americans who've signed petitions to date supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: more than 5 million
Number of states that have called for such an amendment, with West Virginia so far the only one in the South: 16
Number of local governments that have endorsed the amendment: 681
Of those local governments that want to overturn Citizens United, number in the South: 43
Year in which a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in support of such an amendment: 2014
Date on which that amendment was re-introduced in the 114th Congress: 4/28/2015
Date on which Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina became the first Republican to sign on to the amendment: 11/5/2015
Date on which Ron Fein, legal director of the campaign-finance watchdog group Free Speech for People, announced that given the successes of the reform movement it was time to move from defense to offense with litigation: 1/21/2016
Date on which a mass march calling for an immediate end to big-money corruption in politics will kick off at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and head to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign called Democracy Spring: 4/2/2016
Number of people who've already pledged to risk arrest at the U.S. Capitol as part of that campaign: 1,500
(Click on figure to go to source. To comment on or to share this index, click here. )