CitizenSovereignty.org
CitizenSovereignty.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to deepening citizen involvement in contemporary American political life. Its goals include establishment of a pre-election federal holiday for citizen deliberation; and, a fundamental reform of federal campaign finance. CitSov aims to build a network of advocates for implementation of these ideas at the local, state and national levels.
Achievements
The first objective is explained in Deliberation Day, a book by Bruce Ackerman and James S. Fishkin. It proposes a new national holiday designed to re-engage Americans in political life. Held two weeks before presidential elections, imagine it replacing President’s Day on our national calendar. Americans will no longer honor Washington and Lincoln by searching for bargains at the mall. They will gather at neighborhood meeting places to discuss the central issues raised by the leading candidates for the White House and Congress.
CitSov’s second goal is enactment of the Citizen Sovereignty Act, a two-part proposal to invigorate citizen involvement in politics and remedy cynicism about campaign fundraising. The Act extends voters the use of automated teller machines for publicly funded campaign contributions of “Patriot dollars,” and; it renders private campaign contributions anonymous, mimicking the secret ballot as a safeguard to the integrity of the political process. These measures permit a substantial increase in campaign contribution limits and associated free speech.
Voting With Dollars, by Bruce Ackerman and Ian Ayres, details the Act and how it satisfies constitutional requirements. A model text for the Citizen Sovereignty Act provides a concrete basis for an effort to restore faith in Congress and the Executive Branch. CitSov is working with other advocates of public financing and election reform to popularize the innovative ideas behind this approach at home and, also, abroad. For example, Chile held nationwide municipal elections on October 30, 2004 in which campaign contributions could be made anonymously through banks acting as a blind trust.
Contact Information
William Corbet
Email: williamcorbett@cox.net
Website: CitizenSovereignty.org