Larry Lessig, President for a Day

The presidential primary season is in full swing, and yet there are so many of us who just don’t

Perhaps this is because we no longer trust our government to represent us. Regardless of

political affiliation, the majority of Americans agree that large corporate donations negatively

influence U.S. policy. Even Donald Trump has exposed the truth that big donations are ruining

politics. Let’s say that’s a sign that our democracy needs a tune up.

Enter Larry Lessig. Lessig is a Harvard Law professor and Democratic presidential candidate

running as a “referendum president”. This means that, if elected, he would serve only as long as

it takes to pass one statute, and then step down to let his Vice President finish his term.

Lessig proposes the Citizens Equality Act of 2017, a package of reforms that aims to bring

systemic changes that will stem corruption and make the electoral process more transparent

and inclusive. If passed, this act would allow members of Congress to truly align themselves

with their constituents’ needs instead of worrying about that corporate hand on their shoulder.

This single-issue platform is based on the belief that we must restore the people’s

representation in government before tackling other equally important issues like climate change

or gun control. Bonus points to Lessig for insisting in not pointing fingers at corrupt individuals,

opting instead to blame a rigged system that favors corruption.

The Record reported on Lessig’s 2013 visit to Montclair State University, where he said that the

U.S. has two parallel elections, “an election of voting and an election of money.” But the paper

has yet to publish a note about his candidacy. Please cover Lessig’s candidacy along with the

others- he is running an open campaign based on a simple idea that deserves our

consideration.

Stephanie DiBello,