Getting Big Money Out of the Political System

Our form of government has evolved over the years from a place where 6% of Americans controlled the government to an ideal place of “one person/one vote”. The idea put forth by the framers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence was that “all men are created equal”. Evolution of thought and the force of history now understands that “men” now includes women.

The U.S. Constitution frames the basis for our form of government. The Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments have allowed for the evolution of that guiding document. The U.S. Constitution is a living document. Each generation has amended it since the original document went into effect in 1789. Since then it has been successfully amended twenty-seven times.  

Among these amendments have been some that were ratified quickly with broad support. Some have taken a very long time to ratify and some other have failed ratification.

The current discussion to amend the Constitution embraces the question of Big Money and its influence on our electoral system. The modern history of this effort began as legislative effort to correct the wrongs perpetrated during the Watergate scandal of 1972. That scandal occurred within the realm of a Presidential election.

Federal Election Campaign Act was passed in 1984. It placed limits on campaign expenditures.

The 1976 Buckley vs. Valeo decision by the Supreme Court struck down parts of the Federal Election Campaign Act and introduced the idea that “money is speech.”

The 2010 Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission decision decided that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting the size of political donations for corporations, associations and labor unions.

The most recent Supreme Court decision to effect “money in politics” was the 2014 McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission. This decision eliminated the biennial aggregate limit on individual contributions to national party and federal candidate committees.

Money has corrupted the election system in our great country. No longer do individuals have an effective say in out elections unless they happen to have very deep pockets and are willing to spend their money to influence an election. Or worse, multiple elections.

What happened to the idea of “one person, one vote?” Has our Democratic-Republic been permanently deteriorated? Or can we do something to return out system back to the voters?

We don’t yet know if we can return our electoral system back to the people, but many are trying. There is a movement in this country to amend the Constitution to overturn Citizens United. Lawrence Lessig discusses this topic at length. There are political action committees working to end Citizens United, and if they do they will put themselves out of business in the process. Wolf-PAC is one of these organizations. Here in Maryland there is an all-volunteer organization operating with no financial resources. They are working solely off the passion and seemingly endless persistence of its volunteers.

I have joined this rather small group of people to ask the Maryland General Assembly to pass a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress to call an Article V Convention to amend the Constitution which will return the ownership of the electoral system to the people of the United States.  The installment of U.S. Senators was changed from an appointment system to election by popular vote by amending the U.S. Constitution (17th Amendment).

The U.S. Constitution provides us a way to correct terrible decisions made by the Supreme Court. That means is to amend the Constitution. And it may be down in two ways. Congress itself can propose and vote on an Amendment, or the citizens of each state may petition their state legislature to call for a convention. The second process is known as an Article V Convention, and although it has not historically come to a fruitful some attempts have had the influence to force the U.S. Congress to act on its own Amendment.

Last year the Maryland General Assembly made vast progress in passing the legislation to call for such a convention. With your local participation we, as vocal-local participants in our own government can make this happen.

I am asking you to step up and be one of those participants. We are your neighbors and we need your help.

Please join the Perry Hall Meeting Group to learn more about this process. We will be holding our first meeting in Early August.

You may join the google group  or email us to keep up to date on what we are doing. It’s up to you to take action.