Federal Republican and Democratic candidates and groups spend billions on campaigns each election cycle. Our mission is to free our elections from the toxic grip of private and corporate money. The Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United essentially granted personhood to corporations, allowing them to channel vast sums of money through political action committees (PACs) in support of political parties, candidates, and legislation. We believe that you cannot equate a corporation or another group’s interests with the interests of individual citizens. The Citizens United decision distorted the democratic process, and it is our duty to rectify it.
PACs and Dark Money
Political action committees (PACs) are tax exempt organizations that collect and pool money from individual donors for use in campaigns, lobbying, or ballot initiatives (Open Secrets, 2024). PACs typically represent an ideological or business interest. Individual donors must be disclosed to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC). From Jan 1 to June 30, 2023, PACs contributed $107.6 million to federal candidates. Incumbent candidates received $104.4 million in donations while challengers only received $2.5 million (FEC, 2023). PACs connected to publicly traded corporations made the largest contributions, among different types of PACS (e.g. labor, corporate, etc.) (see chart). PACS also make contributions to party committees (see chart). Huge sums like these distort the very essence of fair competition and undermine the principle of equal representation.
Dark money contributions have also increased dramatically in recent years. Dark money contributions to campaigns come from 501(c)4 groups that do not have to disclose individual donors. These groups may pass the money onto PACs to influence elections. These groups have to report spending to the IRS but obfuscate spending by indicating vague uses for the funds (e.g. general media uses). They often fund generic issue ads or campaigns that do not explicitly call for a specific candidate to be elected (Open Secrets, 2022), but clearly have a partisan agenda. Shell companies are often formed to funnel campaign funds into PACs.
The path to change lies in amending our revered Constitution. This will be an arduous and protracted process, but we the people possess the power to shape our future. Though it may take years, we shall prevail. The responsibility lies with us to safeguard the democratic principles upon which our great nation was built.
Conduct of Campaigns
In addition to curbing the influence of dark money and the contributions of PACs in elections, we also need a more straightforward campaign process. The Peoples’ Union advocates for the following changes:
We advocate for the empowerment of voters through the availability of more accessible information about campaign positions and current government policies. Visual, audio, and textual media should be at the fingertips of every citizen—enabling them to engage directly with speeches, podcasts, interviews, and additional campaign materials posted by the candidates themselves. Also, television, newspaper, and radio platforms should be required to provide equal and substantial airtime for candidates to elucidate their platforms in long-form discussions. Lastly, we want to hold our candidates and debates to a higher standard of conduct and communication. Rather than succumbing to the allure of “gotcha” moments, demand that candidates and their campaigns foster an environment of sincerity and genuine dialogue where the focus is on the issues that truly matter.
Lobbying Reform
Lobbyists advocate for the adoption of legislation that will benefit the sector they are working for. Lobbying activities include visits with elected officials, contributing to candidate and issues campaigns, and educating the public. Too often, lobbyists throw ridiculous sums of money at incumbent (elected officials running for reelection) politicians. In 2023, industries that spent the most cash on lobbying at the federal level were (Open Secrets, 2023):
- Pharmaceuticals & Health Products ($378.6M)
- Electronics Manufacturing & Equipment ($238.4M)
- Insurance ($157.4M)
Today, many former elected officials, government staffers, and executive agency officials become lobbyists themselves when they leave their positions. Lazarus et al. (2016) found that 25% of 1,275 U.S. House members, and 29% of 254 U.S. Senators, who left Congress between 1976 and 2012 registered as lobbyists. This means that former government officials are cashing in on their connections, knowledge, and power once they leave government service. In 2023 (see chart below) industries with the highest percentage of former government and elected officials who were working as lobbyists were internet (73.2%), telecom services (69.4%), and defense (67.9%).
Former House members and senior staffers must wait one year, and former senators two years, before they may lobby their former colleagues. The Center for Public Integrity has found that the majority of voters are in favor of increasing former members’ cooling off period to five years or more. Approximately a third were in favor of lifetime bans.
We cannot allow the revolving door between government service and lobbying activity to continue unregulated. Therefore, the Peoples’ Union proposes the following reforms:
- Prohibit former government employees from engaging in lobbying activity for at least 10 years after leaving service. During this time, individuals will be prohibited from working as a lobbyist or acting as a consultant to lobbyists.
- Prohibit former elected officials from working as lobbyists. This prohibition ensures that those who have held public office remain committed to serving the public interest rather than leveraging their positions for personal gain in the lobbying industry.
- Prohibit Department of Defense (DOD) officials from aiding, advising, or representing foreign governments or foreign political parties with the intent to influence the U.S. Government for a period of ten years. This measure safeguards national security interests and ensures that individuals who hold sensitive defense positions do not exploit their expertise to serve foreign interests that may undermine the United States.
Term Limits and Financial Accountability
To enhance democratic representation and ensure financial accountability, the Peoples’ Union proposes a series of measures designed to limit congressional terms and establish stricter financial regulations for elected officials. These reforms aim to foster a more dynamic political landscape, prevent the entrenchment of power, and promote responsible financial behavior among lawmakers. By implementing term limits, aligning retirement benefits with the standard Social Security system, and imposing investment restrictions, we seek to strengthen the integrity and effectiveness of our legislative branch.
We advocate for limiting terms for U.S. House Members to five terms, totaling ten years of service. This measure encourages rotation in office, preventing the consolidation of power and promoting fresh perspectives within the House. We recommend term limits for Senate members, who will be restricted to serving two terms, totaling twelve years of service. By imposing term limits in the Senate, we promote a more dynamic legislative body that is responsive to evolving public sentiment and less prone to stagnation.
Investment Activity
A growing number of federal elected officials have major investments that can conflict with decision making. For example, if a Senator has an investment in a tech company, they may support legislation that benefits that company, or the tech industry in general, in the interest of seeing their stocks grow in value. While serving in Congress, elected officials and their spouses should be prohibited from investing in IPOs, equities, or cryptocurrencies. Instead, they should be limited to investing in low-risk financial instruments such as Certificates of Deposit (CDs), Treasury Bonds (T-Bonds), Mutual Funds, and Index Funds.
Retirement Benefits
Federal elected officials benefit from generous pensions upon retirement, while the majority of American people now depend on private investments and social security during their retirement years. Members of the House are eligible to receive a pension at age 62 after just five years of service. Those who have 20 years of service are eligible at age 50, and those with 25 years of service are eligible at any age (CRS Reports, 2023). The average annual pension for a retired House member is approximately $84,504. The Peoples’ Union proposes eliminating pensions for elected officials. Instead, they will contribute to the social security system, just like all American employees. This change aligns elected officials’ retirement plans with those of the general population and reinforces the principle of equal treatment.