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The Overwhelming Consensus Against Citizens United
Jan 23, 2016
Year in which the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision struck down restrictions on political spending, including secret spending by outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns or parties: 2010
Since the decision, amount in unlimited contributions that's poured into federal elections: $1.5 billion
Of that total, amount for which no donors have been disclosed: $500 million
According to an in-depth survey conducted last year, percent of Americans who say the system for funding political campaigns needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt: 85
Percent of Democrats who say that: 84
Percent of Republicans who agree: 81
Number of Americans who've signed petitions to date supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: more than 5 million
Number of states that have called for such an amendment, with West Virginia so far the only one in the South: 16
Number of local governments that have endorsed the amendment: 681
Of those local governments that want to overturn Citizens United, number in the South: 43
Year in which a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in support of such an amendment: 2014
Date on which that amendment was re-introduced in the 114th Congress: 4/28/2015
Date on which Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina became the first Republican to sign on to the amendment: 11/5/2015
Date on which Ron Fein, legal director of the campaign-finance watchdog group Free Speech for People, announced that given the successes of the reform movement it was time to move from defense to offense with litigation: 1/21/2016
Date on which a mass march calling for an immediate end to big-money corruption in politics will kick off at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and head to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign called Democracy Spring: 4/2/2016
Number of people who've already pledged to risk arrest at the U.S. Capitol as part of that campaign: 1,500
(Click on figure to go to source. To comment on or to share this index, click here. )
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
© 2023 Institute for Southern Studies
Sue Sturgis
Sue Sturgis is the Director and regular contributor to the Institute for Southern Study's online magazine, Facing South, with a focus on energy and environmental issues. She is a former staff writer for The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the Independent Weekly in Durham, North Carolina. Sue is the author or co-author of five Institute reports, including Faith in the Gulf (Aug/Sept 2008), Hurricane Katrina and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (January 2008) and Blueprint for Gulf Renewal (Aug/Sept 2007). Sue holds a Masters in Journalism from New York University.
Year in which the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision struck down restrictions on political spending, including secret spending by outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns or parties: 2010
Since the decision, amount in unlimited contributions that's poured into federal elections: $1.5 billion
Of that total, amount for which no donors have been disclosed: $500 million
According to an in-depth survey conducted last year, percent of Americans who say the system for funding political campaigns needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt: 85
Percent of Democrats who say that: 84
Percent of Republicans who agree: 81
Number of Americans who've signed petitions to date supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: more than 5 million
Number of states that have called for such an amendment, with West Virginia so far the only one in the South: 16
Number of local governments that have endorsed the amendment: 681
Of those local governments that want to overturn Citizens United, number in the South: 43
Year in which a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in support of such an amendment: 2014
Date on which that amendment was re-introduced in the 114th Congress: 4/28/2015
Date on which Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina became the first Republican to sign on to the amendment: 11/5/2015
Date on which Ron Fein, legal director of the campaign-finance watchdog group Free Speech for People, announced that given the successes of the reform movement it was time to move from defense to offense with litigation: 1/21/2016
Date on which a mass march calling for an immediate end to big-money corruption in politics will kick off at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and head to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign called Democracy Spring: 4/2/2016
Number of people who've already pledged to risk arrest at the U.S. Capitol as part of that campaign: 1,500
(Click on figure to go to source. To comment on or to share this index, click here. )
Sue Sturgis
Sue Sturgis is the Director and regular contributor to the Institute for Southern Study's online magazine, Facing South, with a focus on energy and environmental issues. She is a former staff writer for The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the Independent Weekly in Durham, North Carolina. Sue is the author or co-author of five Institute reports, including Faith in the Gulf (Aug/Sept 2008), Hurricane Katrina and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (January 2008) and Blueprint for Gulf Renewal (Aug/Sept 2007). Sue holds a Masters in Journalism from New York University.
Year in which the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens United decision struck down restrictions on political spending, including secret spending by outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns or parties: 2010
Since the decision, amount in unlimited contributions that's poured into federal elections: $1.5 billion
Of that total, amount for which no donors have been disclosed: $500 million
According to an in-depth survey conducted last year, percent of Americans who say the system for funding political campaigns needs to be fundamentally changed or completely rebuilt: 85
Percent of Democrats who say that: 84
Percent of Republicans who agree: 81
Number of Americans who've signed petitions to date supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: more than 5 million
Number of states that have called for such an amendment, with West Virginia so far the only one in the South: 16
Number of local governments that have endorsed the amendment: 681
Of those local governments that want to overturn Citizens United, number in the South: 43
Year in which a majority of the U.S. Senate voted in support of such an amendment: 2014
Date on which that amendment was re-introduced in the 114th Congress: 4/28/2015
Date on which Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina became the first Republican to sign on to the amendment: 11/5/2015
Date on which Ron Fein, legal director of the campaign-finance watchdog group Free Speech for People, announced that given the successes of the reform movement it was time to move from defense to offense with litigation: 1/21/2016
Date on which a mass march calling for an immediate end to big-money corruption in politics will kick off at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia and head to Washington, D.C. as part of a campaign called Democracy Spring: 4/2/2016
Number of people who've already pledged to risk arrest at the U.S. Capitol as part of that campaign: 1,500
(Click on figure to go to source. To comment on or to share this index, click here. )
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