Our Revolution: on Government Reform

Bernie Sanders: Wall Street regulates Congress; do it the other way around

Greed, fraud, dishonesty, and arrogance. These are the words that best describe the reality of Wall Street today.

Fortunately, the American people are catching on. They understand that there is something profoundly wrong when a handful of billionaires on Wall Street wield extraordinary power and influence over the political and economic life of our country. They understand that Congress does not regulate Wall Street--it is Wall Street that regulates Congress.

Bernie Sanders: Allow Post Offices to offer banking services

You go to a payday lender, who will likely charge an interest rate of over 300 percent and trap you into a vicious cycle of debt.

One important way to provide decent banking opportunities for low-income communities is to allow the U.S. Postal Service to engage in basic banking services, which could include offering savings accounts, cashing checks, and wiring money.

Bernie Sanders: End private prisons; end profit of incarceration

Bernie Sanders: Ruling class wants a lack of political consciousness

A young black man informed me that, to him and his friends, politics was totally irrelevant to their lives. It was not something they cared about or even talked about.

Frankly, this lack of political consciousness is exactly what the ruling class of this country wants. Meanwhile, people who work for low wages, have no health insurance, and live in inadequate housing don't see a connection between the reality of their lives and what government does or does not do. Showing people that connection is a very big part of what a progressive political movement has to do. How can we bring about real social change in this country if people in need are not involved in the political process? We need a political revolution. We need to get people involved. We need to get people voting.

Bernie Sanders: SuperPACs: manifestation of everything wrong with politics

As we contemplated the run for president, several things became clear in terms of fund-raising. First, I was not going to do what every other presidential candidate was doing, and that was to establish a super PAC. Super PACs, which allow for unlimited contributions from wealthy people, are the exact manifestation of everything that is wrong with politics today. The idea of establishing one was tempting, and easy to do, but I wasn't going to do it.

Bernie Sanders: Participation in politics as easy and convenient as possible

Democracy is the right of a free people to control their destiny. Not kings or queens or czars, but ordinary people who come together in a peaceful manner in order to determine the future of their society.

What, in our day, does democracy mean? To my mind, it should mean one person, one vote. It should mean an equal opportunity for all who wish to seek public office. It should mean that the wealthy don't have undue influence over the election process. It should mean that voting and participating in the political process is as easy and convenient as possible, and that barriers are not erected to prevent groups of citizens from exercising their right to participate. It should mean that poor people, old people, young people, and people of color are not discriminated against when they want to vote.

Bernie Sanders: Automatic voter registration at age 18

We should make Election Day a federal holiday, or spread Election Day over a two-day weekend, to increase voters' ability to participate. Too many people don't vote because they simply don't have the time on the appointed day--and yes, some forget. Neither situation should disqualify them from casting a ballot. We must make early voting an option for all voters who need the flexibility. And we must make absentee ballot an option for all Americans who request them--with no tests or conditions that unnecessarily hinder voters from requesting and receiving those ballots.

David Koch: Abolish the despotic Federal Election Commission

Let us give credit where credit is due. The Koch brothers, through their legal front organizations and with the active support of the Republican Party, won the 5-4 Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, which went a long way to implementing that Libertarian Party plank to repeal campaign finance laws.

But the Koch brothers are not through yet. They want to go further than Citizens United. They want to eliminate ALL restrictions on campaign spending, and that is precisely what their legal organizations are now working on.

Democratic Party: OpEd: Voter ID reduces Dem turnout by 8% and GOP by 3%

At a time when we should be making it easier for people to vote, Republican governors and legislatures acted quickly to do the exact opposite. They restricted early voting, eliminated same-day registration, and aggressively purged voter rolls. In 2016, fifteen states had new voting restrictions in place for the first time in a presidential election.

Jimmy Carter: Unlimited money in politics violates essence of America

Republican Party: OpEd: Voter ID reduces Dem turnout by 8% and GOP by 3%

At a time when we should be making it easier for people to vote, Republican governors and legislatures acted quickly to do the exact opposite. They restricted early voting, eliminated same-day registration, and aggressively purged voter rolls. In 2016, fifteen states had new voting restrictions in place for the first time in a presidential election.