Americans by the millions are currently supporting a petition to end the power of corporations to make unlimited campaign contributions. Americans do not want politicians that are bought and sold like stocks, and they have begun to take action to stop it.

The unlimited and unregulated control of private business over American politics was unleashed by one of the Supreme Court's most controversial decisions, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission(2010).

In that case, the Court decided that corporations have the same First Amendment freedom of expression rights as citizens do, and therefore "political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment" and cannot be restricted. Private companies are now free to donate as much as they want to any campaign. Many argue that this gives rich corporations an undue influence in elections, giving them a measure of control that is detrimental to democracy.

What Will the Petition Do?

The petition is an attempt to counter the Supreme Court's decision with legislative action. It supports a bill to create the "Democracy for All" amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would give both the federal Congress and state governments the power to "regulate and set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections."  It will also give them the power to "distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections."

This petition is a direct challenge to the Citizens United decision --and to the conservative-controlled Supreme Court. It's a good example of how the balance of powers can work: here one branch, the legislative, can provide counter-measures to what many see as the Supreme Court's tyrannical role as the final arbiter over democratic processes.

But the reality is that the Court cannot be the final arbiter when it has two other branches to contend with. That's what makes the U.S. Constitution so effective: in a system with checks and balances, a law or decision that seems final can always be challenged by one or both of the other branches.

In July, the bill to create the amendment was voted out of the judiciary committee, which means it can now be put to a vote in the Senate in in September.  

Why Should Liberals -and All Other Americans- Sign the Petition?

All Americans invested in legitimate government should sign the petition. Minnesota Senator Al Franken is among the bill's most prominent supporters. His explanation for supporting the amendment is simple. He argues,

"Look, Citizens United was a disaster. The question is, what are we going to do about it? How are we going to stuff this "corporations are people, elections are auctions, democracy is for sale" mess into the Dumpster of Bad Ideas? Here's how: A constitutional amendment that puts power back in the hands of the people. The actual, human people."

The petition also echoes Justice John Paul Stevens's dissent in the Citizens United case. Writing for the four dissenting justices, he stated,

"Corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their 'personhood' often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of "We the People" by whom and for whom our Constitution was established."

Stevens also wrote, "The Court's ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the Nation."

The petition, in pushing for a constitutional amendment to regulate corporate financial contributions from private corporations, hopes to restore integrity to American elections. It's time for Americans interested in protecting the Constitution to step up and sign the petition.

Click here to sign the petition!