The Big Ideas Project

The most important idea I've seen is the one about making absolutely sure all voting machines cannot be manipulated. A state board of inspectors should have legal access to all programs in them BEFORE elections and right after them. Today, only the supplier or manufacturer has that right. Argon National labs, Princeton and MIT have all inspected them and have proven the programs can be rigged for a particular candidate. That is the REAL vote fraud.

Submitted by Anne S. from MO in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 8:54 p.m.

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#554

362 votes

Make it unlawful to stop the government from working any member who tries to bring the Government to a stop should be tried for treason this also applies to Congress who refuses to take a vote on a bill,and if they can't work at least 200 days a year they should receive part time pay min wage.

Submitted by Charles O. from TX in Government & Elections Jan. 3, 2015, 12:38 p.m.

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#557

357 votes

Enforce the Bill as Written.... the law [501(c)3] which authorizes the IRS to grant non-profit status to organizations which apply for it states that such organizations must be "exclusively" for the Public Good. In the late 1950s some IRS employee changed that word to "primarily" and that is the basis TODAY for deciding which groups are given non-profit status. Return to the Law as Written!

Submitted by Angela Marx in Government & Elections Dec. 15, 2014, 3:53 p.m.

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#564

347 votes

Move Presidents Day to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November thus making election day a holiday

Submitted by jackebel in Government & Elections Jan. 15, 2015, 12:57 a.m.

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#565

346 votes

Nothing is more essential than comprehensive election reform - that includes algorithmic redistricting, instant runoff voting, public campaign financing, and a standardized recall process for representatives.

Submitted by MorganKing in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 1:43 p.m.

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#569

345 votes

We need: 1) Compulsory voting - just like jury duty and it should be the government's responsibility to register everyone as soon as they turn 18 2) Public Financing of Campaigns 3) Full Disclosure of Political Spending 4) End Gerrymandering - Redistricting should be done in a fair way every 10 years. 5) Free Airtime for Politicians and a ban on the negative attack ads - the airwaves are owned by the public 6) Constitutional Amendment - Corporations are not People, Money is not Speech

Submitted by Holly Mosher in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 6:48 p.m.

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#591

326 votes

Make it a felony with a mandatory 5 year sentence for all officers and any staff directly involved in any organization producing and/or distributing election materials with inaccurate information about where, when and how to vote, including requirements.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Government & Elections Dec. 16, 2014, 2:13 p.m.

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#610

313 votes

ALL elected officials should participate in the Social Security system and NOT receive PENSIONS on the backs of working Americans. If they have to do so, you will see how quickly the system will become solvent.

Submitted by in Government & Elections Dec. 19, 2014, 12:05 p.m.

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#614

308 votes

Make it unconstitutional to shut the government down.

Submitted by Gnomic in Government & Elections Jan. 3, 2015, 8:38 p.m.

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#616

304 votes

"Do It Like the British." No more campaigning 2-4 years before a presidential election or any election. Take money out of elections. Run the election for 4 weeks, have public television debates (no costly ads and airtime), and let the people vote. Tony Blair called us "Yankees" "crazy" for spending billions of dollars on major elections. He's right. Do it like the Britsh!

Submitted by Donna R. from MA in Government & Elections Dec. 11, 2014, midnight

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#618

300 votes

Congress shall be bound by all laws, no exceptions.

Submitted by CitizenUSA in Government & Elections Dec. 17, 2014, 2:36 a.m.

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#618

300 votes

Accountability in Legislation. Every portion of a bill must have at least one Legislator's fingerprint on it so voters can trace from whence it came; i.e., FDIC insurance backing up Big Banks' riskiest investments and increasing campaign contribution limits in the Cromnibus bill.

Submitted by Jeanne L. from WI in Government & Elections Jan. 3, 2015, 8:03 p.m.

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#627

296 votes

Mandate that appointments made to head government agencies, FDA, EPA, USDA, Dept of Interior, etc., are people who are qualified and have demonstrated capability to act in the public' interest and have no conflicts of interest with the industries being regulated.

Submitted by MA in Government & Elections Jan. 9, 2015, 10:42 a.m.

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#629

294 votes

$10 limit on all political giving. Period. Private individual, corporation, doesn't matter, no more than $10 to any single candidate or party organization. Tax exempt organizations may not make political contributions of any kind.

Submitted by Steve W. from CO in Government & Elections Dec. 9, 2014, 6:51 a.m.

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#637

291 votes

Promise that, if we retake the Senate, all matters up for consideration will receive an official head count. Even if there are not enough votes to pass, make every Senator take a position for or against. Even if it will fail a cloture vote. Take the cloture vote and make every Senator accountable for of against the bill. No more anonymous holds. No more blue slips. No more filibusters in absentia.

Submitted by Leigh Cox in Government & Elections Jan. 3, 2015, 4:44 p.m.

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#641

288 votes

Corporations who receive any form of public funds or tax breaks should not be allowed to spend unlimited amounts of money on influencing elections against the will of the public they are benefiting from.

Submitted by Paul Johnson in Government & Elections Dec. 26, 2014, 6:24 p.m.

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#645

287 votes

All religious entities attempting to permeate and influence Government business should be stripped immediately of all tax exempt and non profit privileges. All politicians bringing in any ideology into the political discourse should be dismissed immediately..

Submitted by Rosemary G. from CA in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 4:43 p.m.

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#645

287 votes

Equal Ballot access in all 50 states so that all parties and independents have access to the ballot also includes ballot referendums to all 50 states allowing citizens to act to enact or repeal laws when state representatives won't

Submitted by ron in Government & Elections Dec. 9, 2014, 11:37 p.m.

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#662

279 votes

We need laws to break up monopolies like Comcast. We as a people should be able to regulate big corporations and banks.

Submitted by Jack D. from WA in Government & Elections Jan. 6, 2015, 9:13 p.m.

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#666

275 votes

I doubt many/any of the Big Ideas will be enacted until legislators represent We, the People. So job #1 is to change how campaigns are funded. My gratis proposal is The Fair Elections Fund--a Whole New Ball Game. Is your country worth $7.00 a year to you? @thefairelection

Submitted by artandnaturelady in Government & Elections Dec. 28, 2014, 7:45 p.m.

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#672

272 votes

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