The Big Ideas Project

AMEND the Constitution to return Sovereign Power to the People repealing the 11th Amendment and making it once again possible for people to sue the government for wrongful damages caused by politicians such as inflicting the mentally ill and Blacks with syphilis and not providing treatment, just to see what would happen.

Submitted by Christopher M. Vanderwall-Brown in Government & Elections Jan. 10, 2015, 11:36 p.m.

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#1817

56 votes

Even before an amendment to remove corp. personhood & equating money to free speech, the leverage of popular support vs. big money can be increased via this public financing of elections: The government should match all donations up to a level ordinary people can afford, e.g. $250 per election per person (including, if necessary, per corp.) at a rate of 10:1, and/or require media stations to provide similar discounts to keep their licenses. Validation must be done real-time via a fed website.

Submitted by Ron Gremban in Government & Elections Dec. 24, 2014, 1:44 a.m.

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#1831

55 votes

Allow only one week of political advertisement -- the week before any election. Allow each candidate to have a public-paid website with a set number of pages. This website should be live 3 months before any election and should be taken down the weekend after the election.

Submitted by Amy in CT in Government & Elections Dec. 11, 2014, 9:53 a.m.

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#1831

55 votes

Increase voter turnout by giving the voter an automatic lottery entry (per each election, not each name on the ballot) when he/she casts his or her vote. So, in addition to being a good citizen, the voter knows that by voting there's a possibility that he/she could win a few million dollars. Our society has become geared toward an American Dream of receiving windfall cash in return for doing virtually nothing. This sweetening of the pot would be well worth the cost.

Submitted by Mary Rocco in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 3:59 p.m.

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#1831

55 votes

Create a new independent third party group that investigates corruption in our government and corporations and make people liable for all their actions whether they are a senator, a CEO of a company, or in any position of power. People with power should be help accountable for their use of their power!

Submitted by ymash in Government & Elections Jan. 5, 2015, 12:46 p.m.

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#1831

55 votes

Since the airwaves are licensed for use from the government to the television and radio stations, we should pass a law to make it mandatory for them to block a finite number of hours for the use of our political parties to post their campaign ads at NO COST to each party. This could go a very long way to taking the money out of our broken political system.

Submitted by Sandra Z. from MD in Government & Elections Jan. 4, 2015, 7:27 p.m.

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#1841

54 votes

I would like to see election reform. I feel that nobody should be able to give money to a single person, it should always be given to the party. this keeps things honest. I want to see an end to special interests and lobbying they way it is done now. No special interest group should ever be allowed to meet with an individual in congress, they should be able to mail them a packet explaining their position.

Submitted by Oaken in Government & Elections Jan. 11, 2015, 7:29 p.m.

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#1841

54 votes

Require both houses of Congress to abandon all nonConstitutional rules, so that Congress can operate as envisioned in the Constitution.

Submitted by Kurt L. from OH in Government & Elections Dec. 15, 2014, 10:28 p.m.

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#1841

54 votes

Institute proportional representation, similar to what exists in New Zealand, where a pool of "at large" congressional seats are elected by each party, and after election day the number of congresspersons are adjusted to reflect the proportion of total party-aligned votes for congressional seats statewide. This will help blunt the unethical impact of jerrymandering.

Submitted by Robert E. Sojka in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 2:08 p.m.

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#1853

53 votes

THE MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAY WE CAN EVOLVE OUR SOCIETAL INSTITUTIONS TO GOVERNMENT OF, BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE IS BY ONE 6 YEAR TERM LIMITS FOR ALL OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES/MANAGERS. EVEN THE POWERS THAT BE WOULD BE BETTER OFF BECAUSE FREE PEOPLE, WITH A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD, PRODUCE MORE, KEEP MORE AND SHARE MORE. 85% OF ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WORLDWIDE ARE GOOD PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD. WE ARE JUST ORGANIZED, REPRESENTED AND MANAGED INEFFICIENTLY.

Submitted by ONE_6_YEAR in Government & Elections Dec. 26, 2014, 6:12 p.m. 1

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#1853

53 votes

All eligible voters must vote to receive benefits of any kind from the government including income tax returns.

Submitted by Sylvia C. from MI in Government & Elections Dec. 27, 2014, 6:03 p.m.

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#1853

53 votes

Expand the House of Representatives to make it more representative. Currently the ratio is 1 rep for approx. every 700,000 citizens. This needs to decline dramatically to 1:100,000 - 1:250,000 ratio. Make government of the people closer to the people!

Submitted by denton.murphy in Government & Elections Dec. 16, 2014, 11:53 p.m.

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#1853

53 votes

Government spending bills should be decided by nationwide public vote. Congress should formulate the bill and we all vote. Every vote is counted as one equal vote, not state by state or district by district. All voting should by by mail or email.

Submitted by CitizenUSA in Government & Elections Dec. 17, 2014, 2:27 a.m.

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#1863

52 votes

Federal Law that all votes must be kept private, with jail time for Secretaries of State and Town Clerks responsible for allowing voting records to be leaked and/or publicized.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Government & Elections Dec. 16, 2014, 11:32 a.m.

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#1870

51 votes

More choices in Elections: Multiple candidates, being able to choose from whoever is running, not just two candidates! No more party-specific ballots; everyone running is on the ballot, and their name excludes their political affiliation. No TV or other campaign ads, only public interaction & debates, candidates answering the public's questions.

Submitted by Sabine Jordan from CA in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 8:14 p.m.

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#1870

51 votes

Raise the number of votes required to pass an appropriations bill in congress to 66%. No major legislation passed 51-49 is beneficial to the American people.

Submitted by James in Government & Elections Dec. 11, 2014, 9:31 p.m.

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#1870

51 votes

Focus on educating the voters so they better understand the issues and realize that voting Rep is so often voting against their own best interests. Many voters do not really understand that the Dems are the ones on their side and the ones fighting for them. A working person voting for a Rep is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

Submitted by SharonD in Government & Elections Jan. 8, 2015, 11:02 a.m.

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#1870

51 votes

Avoid having career politicians. Have them work at real jobs between running for election. In other words, alternate between holding any elected office and working a real job.

Submitted by antonio l. from CA in Government & Elections Jan. 4, 2015, 5:27 p.m.

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#1870

51 votes

Base congressional pay on a percentage (to be determined) of median individual income averaged over the previous term for that office (regardless of who held the post beforehand) This must be coupled with extremely strict anti-corruption measures to work

Submitted by dubya in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 9:14 p.m.

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#1870

51 votes

For all national elections, the election season should last no more than eight weeks & TOTAL campaign spending, FOR ALL CANDIDATES COMBINED should be limited to $800 million.

Submitted by lee s. from OR in Government & Elections Jan. 13, 2015, 8:45 p.m.

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#1870

51 votes

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