CORE MESSAGE
Most of us believe that all Americans, no matter who we are or where we’re from, deserve an equal voice and an equal say in our democracy. But for too long, billionaires and greedy corporations have rigged the system in their favor, at the expense of everyone else. Megacorporations and billionaires spend their infinite funds pitting us against each other based on where we live or what we look like. They peddle lies during campaigns and lobby politicians for tax giveaways and kickbacks while some politicians use insider info to get rich in the stock market.
We must unite across race and place, as we have done in our past, to unrig the rules of our democracy so we have a government of, by and for the people. We need to stop big money from corrupting our elections, ban Members of Congress from trading stocks, end partisan gerrymandering, guarantee automatic and same-day voter registration, restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act, and make early voting and voting at home accessible for all. Together, we can join together as voters and ensure that we can build a future that works for all of us, no exceptions.
WATCH IT IN ACTION
POLLING + Fast Facts
VOTERS SUPPORT GETTING BIG MONEY OUT OF ELECTIONS …
83% of voters support legislation to “crack down on political corruption in both parties and strengthen our democracy,” and a majority support a small donor matching program for Congressional elections.
… ESPECIALLY IN BATTLEGROUND STATES
92% of voters in battleground states said cracking down on political corruption was a top priority for them in 2020.
$4.5 BILLION DOLLAR PROBLEM
Between 2010 and 2020, outside groups have spent $4.5 billion in our elections. The top ten donors alone spent $2 billion on candidates, parties, and other political groups.
CITIZENS UNITED HAS TO GO
In 2010, outside groups represented only 8.5% of the total election spending, but by 2018, their share jumped to 23%.
Words that Work
Always connect money in politics to how it hurts our ability to make the changes we need on issues that matter like abortion care, health care, climate policy, and unrigging the economy.
Share a vision for government that works and avoid language that blames ‘government’ itself - instead place blame with megacorporations and the politicians that do their bidding.
Billionaires and big corporations have rigged the system in their favor, at the expense of everyone else.
Certain politicians want to make it so corporations can’t be held responsible in court even when their recklessness kills.
Right now, the wealthiest corporations are using their power over politicians to raise prices and rake in even more profits than ever.
Big corporations are enjoying record profits while passing down rising costs and price gouging middle class families, causing inflation. We must crack down on special interest money in politics so that politicians will focus on the issues that matter to regular people instead of protecting their corporate campaign donors.
Highlight the distinction between fighting to change the system – us – and defending a rigged system – the opposition.
Voters know and distrust corporate PACs. They support campaigns fueled by working people and small donations.
If we want fairer taxes, lower prescription drug prices, and commonsense gun safety, we’ve got to stop letting corporate special interests write our laws and tilt the scales in their favor at the expense of everyone else.
More than ten years later, it’s clear that the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision undermined our democracy and flooded our elections with corporate money.
If we join together as voters, we can build a government where everyone’s voice is heard, not just the wealthy few, and where liberty and justice is for all, no exceptions.
NEXT: TOOLS + RESOURCES ↓
Tools + Resources
For more information, we have included the following additional publicly available resources below. These resources do not necessarily reflect the policy positions of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund.
MESSAGING GUIDES + DATA TOOLS
We Make the Future Messaging Guide - We Make the Future
Billionaires Buying Elections - Americans for Tax Fairness
We Make the Future Messaging Guide - We Make the Future
H.R. 1: Responding to Attacks — End Citizens United
Fighting Corruption, Working for the People — End Citizens United
Building Black and Brown Economic and Political Power — Demos
Billionaires Buying Elections: How the Nation’s Wealthiest Translate Economic Power into Political Clout — Americans for Tax Fairness
Big Tech, Big Cash: Washington’s New Power Players — Public Citizen
Momentum Builds to Overturn Citizens United (Timeline) - Public Citizen
POLLING
Voters Overwhelmingly Support a Progressive Policy Agenda – Data for Progress 04.29.2024
Check out the latest polling from our partners at Data for Progress and Navigator
Questions?
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NEXT: RELATED ISSUES ↓