People that work for certain big businesses such as tobacco, real estate development, gambling, lawyers, or pharamceutical companies are consistently among those citizens that donate the most heavily to political campaigns. One might admire their civic responsibility if it weren't for the alternative possibility that their generosity is based on expected reciprocity. They tend to donate to those candidates that have promised support of their industry or better yet, DEMONSTRATED such support by voting for legislation that helped their industry.
To stop industry from dominating our democracy, campaign finance reform has introduced such things as campaign contribution limits and financial disclosure by candidates so that voters may, if they are industrious enough to do the research, find out who paid for their elected officials' campaigns. These methods seem to be effective to some degree if only because the donors that give 2000 dollars each election to their favorite candidates protest so much about it.
The
Athens Project is the latest weapon citizens can wield against moneyed interests seeking to stop voters from imposing limits on their actions. By pledging to vote whichever way voters tell them to on legislation, Athens Project candidates will force corporate interests to take their message directly to voters where it must withstand the scrutiny of civic groups and activists who will be only too happy to expose any detrimental effect legislation may have on their communities. Under the current system, industry needs only convince a majority of the elected officials passing our laws, out of the public eye if they choose, perhaps with the help of a 2000 dollar check. Giving checks to
Athens Project officials will not help them get favorable laws passed if the voters do not approve of the legislation, so they are unlikely to make such donations. As corporate support of political campaigns declines, the elected officials have far less incentive to betray the public trust.
Industry might still bombard the public with advertising to get its way, but this will require media campaigns far more expensive than the campaign contributions they are shelling out now. Furthermore, many bills will benefit only one or a few businesses and they will find themselves unable to scrape together the necessary funding for a media blitz that might sway the public to vote in favor of any one bad bill. This scenario will offer a far more level playing field to the community interest groups that fight bad bills now.
Direct democracy may not end corporate corruption of our government, but it will become a lot more expensive and, by extension, less effective and widespread. To get the revolution started, vote for
Athens Project candidates in your area. If there are none, find someone willing (maybe you!) to run for office and move your local government in a socially responsive direction.
Athens Project can provide advice on how to get started.
