The Big Ideas Project

Make voting compulsory for all citiizens in national and conresssional elections in order to insure fair representation, but include an "opt-out" option on the ballot to protect the civil right not to vote.

Submitted by JamesHufferd in Government & Elections Dec. 26, 2014, 12:51 p.m.

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#1964

43 votes

Eliminate the Alternate Minimum Tax for all individuals, both domestic and living abroad, adjusting tax rates as needed, and reduce the burdensome reporting requirements on saving accounts for individual citizens living abroad.

Submitted by nocorporatetype in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 6:39 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Levy significant taxes through vehicle registrations--no less than annually--per vehicle ton to encourage people to use the lightest vehicle for the purpose...

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Environment Dec. 16, 2014, 2:56 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Have Congress offer a contest to find the best solutions to eliminate our national debt; thus freeing more capitol to expand the middle class.

Submitted by Gail V. from LA in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 10:26 a.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Patents on software and business methods are harming innovation rather than helping it. The first-mover advantage is enough to motivate people to innovate in these areas and event to raise capital, but often innovation is blocked because of patents of dubious value and novelty. Patent "trolls" can easily abuse the legal system to demand payments for ridiculous patents. Congress could easily resolve the problem by declaring that neither software nor business methods are eligible to be patented.

Submitted by Michael C. from PA in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 11, 2014, 9:02 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Put an end to FATCA and stop taxing Americans around the world for simply being American citizens. The government of the US is one of 2 in the world that taxes based on citizenship. Ex-pats who live, work, and pay taxes in foreign countries are currently still required to pay taxes to the US government. These taxes are IN ADDITION to the taxes we pay to the foreign governments of our adoptive countries. It is unfair and out-of-step with the rest of the world to tax your citizens like this.

Submitted by JK in Taxes & Budget Dec. 18, 2014, 3:50 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Outlaw the Republican Party. It has become a hate group guilty of innumerable crimes against humanity.

Submitted by PercyIsFantastic in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 10:23 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Make the top individual income tax rate 72.5% & the lowest 1.5% & create 33 brackets.

Submitted by Xander Taylor in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 10:43 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Increase the size of the House so that districts are smaller and less susceptible to gerrymandering.

Submitted by Garrett H. from OH in Government & Elections Dec. 11, 2014, 9:25 a.m.

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#1982

42 votes

The only campaign financing allowed for all elections should be a mandatory pre-tax contribution by each taxpayer of one-half of one percent of annual gross income. All funds would be equally split between the DNC and RNC. All other campaign funding would be disallowed.

Submitted by Pattick O. from KS in Government & Elections Dec. 26, 2014, 3:50 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Build a new refinery in the Northern United States so we do not have to build a pipe line to the gulf in Texas to make big oil tycoons even richer. They want to ship it elsewhere instead of keeping it here in the USA. VETO the keystone pipeline !

Submitted by maximum wage in Infrastructure & Technology Jan. 12, 2015, 5:13 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Change the Civil rights act to make working class less accountable and against each other and employers more liable and accountable. Working class bear the brunt of all civil rights punishments and this creates hate on both sides. The employer must be the only one liable and accountable. Stop victimizing whites with zero tolerance crap and black hatred.

Submitted by noone in Civil Rights Dec. 29, 2014, 11:52 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

For decades we have protected the environment by requiring "Environmental Impact Statements" before approving projects that might hurt the environment. Similarly, we need "RACIAL IMPACT STATEMENTS" that would examine how a proposed law or regulation or project would affect racial minorities and the goal of racial justice.

Submitted by Glen in Society & Community Dec. 10, 2014, 7:35 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

I would like to see education in the Junior High and the High school be in 6-8 week packets. not all subjects need to be year long and we need to get away from so much of the same basic classes every year and focus on these kids being able to get a job, I want to see cooking packets in the 7th grade, microwave cooking for both sexes. there could be a line prep cooking in the high school and maybe they could prepare lunch for the students. real estate sales persons certificate, welding, radio

Submitted by Oaken in Education Dec. 11, 2014, 9:58 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

It's a two-fold idea. Make railroads green. Find renewal ways (solar or wind power) to fuel railroads. Secondarily, take 18 Wheel Vehicles off the road, they are dangerous for other drivers and the environment. The shipments can be transported via railroads. Transition the drivers to the railroad industry to cover the extra shifts of rail transport.

Submitted by Plum in Economy & Jobs Jan. 8, 2015, 3:02 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Money and debt are corrosive ideas in a world in which all the needs of the world's population can have their basic needs met by utilizing technology. We must abolish all monetary debt, create systems for distribution of resources separate from the capitalistic model that values waste, obsolescence and profit for the sake of profit. Only through sustainability will the finite resources of the planet be managed in a way that will ensure mankind's future.

Submitted by Simon Holden in Economy & Jobs Dec. 31, 2014, 1:43 a.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Create a national tourism agency that will advertise tourism to the United States in foreign countries. Tourism is a huge industry and can create a lot of jobs. A lot of other countries already have agencies that do this work. Included is a link to Japan's agency.

Submitted by MattA in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 10:11 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

A GLOBAL 'MEGATONS TO MEGAWATTS' PROGRAM, spearheaded by the U.S.: The amount of fissile material in the world's bombs should soon become the ONLY new material available to produce nuclear electricity in the world's reactors, to be removed from the bombs of the nuclear nations' arsenals to be used for nuclear power -- creating an upper limit on the nuclear power the world will generate and a process by which the threat of thermonuclear destruction will be diminished and finally eliminated.

Submitted by Gregory Wright, ADA So Cal Board Member in Foreign Policy & Military Dec. 22, 2014, 6:26 a.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Submitted by Dave Ewoldt in Economy & Jobs Dec. 18, 2014, 6:08 p.m.

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#1982

42 votes

Provide the people with a Contract for Democracy filled with populist economic programs and policies, and guarantee it with the signatures of every incumbent and candidate, at pain of political and financial homicide, such that any one who breaches the Contract will be exiled and shall be legally bound to forfeit their campaign war chest and other funds they must put in escrow. The Contract would commit the signers to commit to enacting the Contract if they are given control of D.C.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Government & Elections Dec. 16, 2014, 11:11 a.m.

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#2000

41 votes

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