The Big Ideas Project

End the subsidies for Solar and wind generated energy. These subsidies were supposed to end In 1999 and 15 years later the taxpayers are still helping China industry.

Submitted by Mandinka in Taxes & Budget Dec. 19, 2014, 8:23 p.m. 1

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#2220

23 votes

Any TP protestors against the ACA have to sign paperwork that they will never use any part of the ACA for their benefit. Those who wanted and worked for it should get to be the ones using it.

Submitted by Jim B. from ME in Health Jan. 3, 2015, 7:43 p.m.

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#2220

23 votes

The government should promote major, major improvement of race relations programs. Ask the public to send ideas. Pay movie makers to make movies that promote this............not war.

Submitted by Kris-Progressive in Society & Community Dec. 17, 2014, 4:32 p.m.

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#2220

23 votes

Reduce entitlement spending by 10% each year until the 18 trillion dollar deficit is paid off.

Submitted by Richard A. from NH in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 12:32 p.m.

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#2220

23 votes

Use the Citizens Jury process on all big government decisions to involve the "electorate" in these decisions. A Citizens Jury is a representative group of citizens that are presented with real data on any issue and asked to discuss the issue and make a recommendation on that issue.

Submitted by bigb in Government & Elections Jan. 5, 2015, 12:55 p.m.

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#2220

23 votes

Turn the five populated U.S. Territories [Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Marianas, U. S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa] into states or sell them. Sell all the uninhabited U.S. Territories [ Palmyra Atoll, Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Wake Island, Midway Islands, Navassa Island and Serranilla Bank]. Use the proceeds to fund a massive multi-year jobs program to replace fossil fuel energy with renewables.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Economy & Jobs Jan. 9, 2015, 7:10 p.m.

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#2220

23 votes

Let's transform our military over the next century to use for more humanitarian missions and not for /war. It's a new age and we need to realize war doesn't work to solve conflict, it creates more conflict. Healing foreign relations should involve helping countries build infrastructure,initiatives in health and education. No more arms sales! The war culture and the money poured into it are our biggest problem. Our future survival depends on solutions that benefit the entire global community

Submitted by linosmama2 in Foreign Policy & Military Jan. 13, 2015, 4:35 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Reactivate the Women's Army Corps and transfer all female soldiers out of traditional fighting units.

Submitted by davco in Foreign Policy & Military Dec. 11, 2014, 9:18 a.m.

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#2227

22 votes

The National Guard should supplement state/local resources to maximize voter registration and voting.

Submitted by Jeff in Government & Elections Dec. 19, 2014, 12:08 a.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Put all bills in Congress directly before the constituency for on-line voting and require congresspersons to vote in accordance with public mandate -- with results published.

Submitted by Lawrence Gold in Government & Elections Jan. 8, 2015, 6:19 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Reform patent laws! There should be a simple public repository for anyone to search, patents should only be enforceable when they are in the process of being developed on (no holding patents that aren't being worked on), and make clearer guidelines on what counts as a patent (i.e., a new technology not a design idea like Apple patenting the shape and button placement of their phones).

Submitted by Mike S in Infrastructure & Technology Jan. 11, 2015, 3:14 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Don't tax the first dollar of anyone's Adjusted Gross Income unless/until they are making *more* than the median income for individuals in the U.S.. Effectively, this is like a "standard deduction" applicable *after* all other deductions and exemptions are taken, which is equal to the median individual income in the United States. The richer the average American becomes, the more Congress can tax them.

Submitted by Terry Allen in Taxes & Budget Jan. 8, 2015, 9:28 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Index the points at which our progressive federal income tax rate increases to inflation on a set, periodic, basis.

Submitted by ronboakes_92127 in Taxes & Budget Jan. 4, 2015, 4:06 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Taking as given that money will always find a way into politics, could we approach electoral fairness by, in essence, removing national platforms and centralized party power and, instead, having advocacy groups (polled/ voted on for the issues that matter most by represented region) up for election and then tying that to a representative - whose success - working without predefined yeas and nays - is based on negotiated progress on those observed issues?

Submitted by Ryan in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 4:18 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Recall by all affected voters. The eligible voters are all those affected by an elected officials actions (i.e., for a congressman, all voters nationwide, for a state legislator, all voters in that state, etc.). Signatures of 1% of all eligible voters puts a recall on the ballot; 2/3 of those voting (which, to prevent issues with low turnout, must also be 1/3 of all eligible voters) removes him from office and bans him from ever again holding office.

Submitted by Dave Anderson in Government & Elections Jan. 5, 2015, 5:05 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Change the constitution to make amending it more equitable. Amendments should be proposed by two of these: the three fifths of the Senate, three fifths of the House, the President, two thirds of the Supreme Court, three fifths of the states, or a petition of ten percent of legal voters. Ratification should be by states representing three fourths of the population. Amendments would still require difficult supermajorities, but ideas could not be blocked for self-serving reasons as they are now.

Submitted by Bruce McKinney in Government & Elections Jan. 10, 2015, 5:02 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Progressives should champion the idea of paying off the national debt by discontinuing the sale of Treasuries thereby forcing the minting of high seigniorage platinum coins. The debt would be paid off in 30 years which would cripple the Fed. The process would also force owners of treasury bonds to invest, spend or put their money in banks as the rest of us do. It would also, once and for all, dispel the myth that the government needs tax money to operate the government.

Submitted by Charles3000 in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 4:47 p.m.

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#2227

22 votes

Institute the 22 reforms to Congressional rules and practices published in Esquire magazine, Oct 15, 2014, developed as a bi-partisan consensus. Those interested in good GOVERNANCE may read Francis Fukuyama’s Political Stability and Political Decay, 2014, which poses that United States governance is presently in decay.

Submitted by yes in Government & Elections Dec. 21, 2014, 1:52 p.m.

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#2238

21 votes

Require community service or make this an elective class at schools and colleges. This teaches hospitality and care of things.

Submitted by lseitz in Education Jan. 8, 2015, 8:05 p.m.

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#2238

21 votes

Pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

Submitted by Hogie in Taxes & Budget Jan. 5, 2015, 3:16 p.m.

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#2238

21 votes

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