“It takes an issue that can seem very complicated and breaks it down in a way that’s clear, concise, and is in no way patronizing.” —Carmelo
Download and share the pdf with family and friends this election season!
There is actually something we (mostly) all agree on.
Take a few minutes to read the book below for free. (click the arrow to the right to start)
Share this book with someone that doesn’t agree with you.
Share the book with someone you have ever heard say they feel like the US government isn’t working and they are angry about it.
Share this book with someone you don’t usually talk with about politics, because it will probably turn into an argument.
Share this book with someone older than you, who you love dearly but might be watching too much cable television news of any sort.
Share this book with someone younger than you, who isn’t politically active, but doesn’t like injustice.
Share this book with someone who votes.
Share this book with someone who doesn’t vote, but wants to improve things.
And start a conversation.
Watch and learn more.
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A Short History of Campaign Finance Reform
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Big Sky, Big Money
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Dark Money
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Whose Vote Matters
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The Swamp
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Citizen Koch
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The Best Government Money Can Buy
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Big Money Agenda
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Campaign Finance from Watergate, to Soft Money and Citizens United
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Koch Brothers Exposed
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Meet the Donors
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Pay2Play
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PRICELE$$
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Ted Talk: Lawrence Lessig
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The Price of Privatization
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Saving Capitalism
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Food, Inc.
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The New Corporation
“A great breakdown of the ecosystem of political money, which tends to make people’s eyes glaze over. It’s really well done. The tone is dark, but not hopeless.” —Kate
Read and learn more.
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Billionaire Democracy
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Buying the Vote
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Citizens Divided
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Corporations are Not People
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Dark Money
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Democracy Unchained
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How Democracies Die
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On Corruption in America
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One Person, One Vote
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Republic, Lost
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Small Change
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We the Corporations
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What Went Wrong
“A little book that says a lot. You know the content well, but you probably have friends or family who don't. A gift for them perhaps?” —Marion
The Solutions
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Public Campaign Financing
Under the presidential public funding program, eligible presidential candidates receive federal government funds to pay for the qualified expenses of their political campaigns in both the primary and general elections.
Source: US Federal Election Commission
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Disclosures of all Donations
The term disclosure refers to periodic reporting to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) of funds received and spent, and the term disclaimer refers to an attribution statement that appears on a campaign-related communication.
Source: US Congress
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A Constitutional Amendment
An amendment may be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress, or, if two-thirds of the States request one, by a convention called for that purpose. The amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the State legislatures, or three-fourths of conventions called in each State for ratification.
Source: The White House
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End Gerrymandering
Extreme partisan gerrymandering lets political insiders and party bosses draw district lines that box out their competition and protect their own power. Gerrymandering robs voters of their right to a meaningful choice at the polls, and weakens our democracy.
Source: Common Cause
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Free Airtime
A majority of the money spent in political campaigns is spent on advertising. The candidates with the most money have the loudest voices, drowning out ordinary people running for office. The bad taste from negative ads tends to turn people off. Consequently they lose the motivation to vote.
Source: saveourelections.org
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Compulsory Voting
Compulsory voting, also called mandatory voting, is the requirement in some countries that eligible citizens register and vote in elections. Penalties might be imposed on those who fail to do so without a valid reason.
Source: Wikipedia
Ask your representatives and political candidates, “What specific reforms will you advance to end the corrupting influence of money in politics?”
Get involved and take action.
Encouraging news!
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Brennan Center for Justice: The For the People Act: Separating Fact from Fiction
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Oregon Capital Chronicle: Campaign finance reform advocates ask Oregon Supreme Court for a new hearing
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Brennan Center for Justice: New York is on the precipice of revolutionizing campaign finance.
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Maine Public: After Court Battle, Maine's Clean Elections Candidates To Get $1 Million In Campaign Funds
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Politico: Campaign finance reform, corporate style
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Reasons to be Cheerful: Democracy comes to Michigan
About Dear Citizen
In January 2015 I spent a week with the New Hampshire Rebellion walking across parts of the state (in the spirit of Granny D and her walk across America). When four groups—walking from four points of New Hampshire—converged in Nashua for a rally, I learned so much about campaign finance reform…and it infuriated me.
In the years since I’ve read many books and articles, watched many documentaries, and followed many organizations. I’ve discovered that it’s a topic that people often just throw up their hands in concession to corrupt politicians. We can’t do that.
A lot of people I’ve talked to think that it is too complex to understand, but it really is very simple: human greed.
I also realized most people need “a way in” to the topic, so we wrote a book that is designed to be read in a few minutes, and kickstart conversations.
The good thing is that 80% of Americans, regardless of political party, think there is too much money in politics. We already agree on something! 91% of Americans also believe this can’t be changed. That has to change.
Now we need to show how to fix the problem and encourage others to stay informed and take action, such as public financing, disclosures of all donations, a constitutional amendment, end gerrymandering, free airtime, and compulsory voting.
The idea is to use the book to start a conversation, which you can do with the online version or pre-order a print edition to share in person and have a heart-to-heart talk.
It’s simple, really. The majority of us do not want this level of corruption. So let’s change it together.
— Charlie + Adam
Also from Charlie and Adam
In the spirit of the Dr. Seuss classic, Oh the Places You’ll Go, but with a distinctive, culturally relevant point of view, Dear Graduate asks big life questions with simple charm.
Packed with gentle wisdom and clarity, it is easily accessible to a wide range of readers and has instant appeal for graduates of all ages.