Demand reform from your representatives, and talk openly about restoring the power of economic access and effective government.
There can be no national-level solutions without individual action, and while the reforms we need are broad, and the path will be long, the first steps are simple. To begin real change, we must write and call our representatives and candidates to support reforms, we must join and support the independent groups that advocate for these reforms, and we must talk openly about our intent to vote on reform issues above all others. Without reform, all of our other political efforts merely prolong and intensify our dysfunction. And among the reform issues, the most urgent is forming and empowering national commissions for economic access, for government effectiveness, and for government finance. Commissioners must be barred from future office, to insulate them from partisan pressure.
If we can talk boldly about the need for reform, we can return our economy and our government to their proper function.
Write your Member of Congress or Candidate
Sample Letter or Email:
Subject: Please support an economic access commission
Dear Representative/Senator,
Aside from health services, our greatest need is for economic recovery. I am writing to ask you to support two important measures: an economic access commission to get people working, and an Electoral Reform Act to get government working. These reforms each have a critical part to play in how quickly we come back from the pandemic.
First, I believe a bipartisan national commission for economic access is now essential get people trained and connected to good jobs requiring technical skills. The broad scope of such an effort cannot be accomplished by the open market alone; rather it will require national level coordination to be successful, which only a bipartisan commission can do effectively.
Second, we need an Electoral Reform Act to counter our destructive political polarization. This polarization has deadlocked our politics and our government for many years, and is now preventing coordinated national action for economic recovery. To fix this deadlock, we need an Electoral Reform Act that will: eliminate super PACs and other tools of anonymous political speech; end the Senate filibuster as a tool of obstruction; and establish party-blind redistricting, weekend elections, and open primaries. Such a Reform Act can ensure that officials represent the interests of a wider range of local voters, above the interests of paid partisan groups with narrow agendas.
I believe we can put people back to work, and end the polarization that is deadlocking government. That is why I support these reforms, and why I want my representatives to do the same. Thank you for your consideration, and for your service to the country.
Sincerely,
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To email your Congressional Representative and Senators: go to www.democracy.io
For a postal mailing address and phone number for your Congressional Representative: go to https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
For a postal mailing address or phone number for your Senators: go to https://www.senate.gov/general/contacting.htm
Reform Groups
Below is a list of reform groups that advocate for and promote the types of reforms described in Principled Power. Certain groups focus on certain reforms: electoral laws and finance, policy-making, and/or government efficiency.
Bipartisan reforms in all these areas are essential to building America’s national power in the 21st century. As individuals, regardless of party affiliation, we can make this happen by supporting the independent groups that advocate for these reforms, and talking about our intent to vote on reform issues. The choice is ours.
For electoral finance reform (alphabetical order):
Center for Responsive Politics
From the website: “Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.”
Issue One
From the website: “Issue One is the leading cross-partisan political reform group in Washington. We unite Republicans, Democrats, and independents in the movement to fix our broken political system.”
Mayday PAC
From the website: “The movement to end big money politics has yet to fully leverage its power at the ballot box in an organized fashion. … Passing reform in a city in your state moves political will in your state closer to reform. Passing reform in your state moves the country closer to reform.”
No Labels
From the website: “No Labels is a movement for the tens of millions of Americans who are fed up with the dysfunction and will no longer put up with a government that does not represent the interests of most Americans.”
For government efficiency reform
Common Good
From the website: “Common Good is a nonpartisan reform coalition with one basic goal—to restore the freedom of officials and citizens to use common sense. We propose practical, bold ideas to simplify bureaucratic structures so that Americans can roll up their sleeves and get things done.”
For bipartisan policy-making
Bipartisan Policy Center
From the website: “The Bipartisan Policy Center is a non-profit organization that combines the best ideas from both parties to promote health, security, and opportunity for all Americans. BPC drives principled and politically viable policy solutions through the power of rigorous analysis, painstaking negotiation, and aggressive advocacy.”