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When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators. - P. J. O'Rourke
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The American Promise - End Big Money in Politics
The American Promise - End Big Money in Politics
Note: This is an updated version of an editorial originally written by David Hunter. It reflects recent developments in the American Promise movement and the progress made toward the For Our Freedom Amendment.
For more than half a century, Americans have watched wealth become increasingly concentrated while the cost of running for public office has continued to rise. During that same period, a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions has significantly limited the ability of Congress and the states to regulate many forms of campaign spending. Whether one agrees with those decisions or not, the result is undeniable: raising money has become one of the dominant forces in American politics.
Today, candidates for nearly every major office spend countless hours fundraising. Super PACs, independent expenditures, and other organizations spend billions of dollars during every election cycle. Many Americans worry that the voices of ordinary citizens are increasingly overshadowed by a relatively small number of wealthy donors and special interests.
Fortunately, there is reason for optimism.
American Promise is a growing cross-partisan movement dedicated to restoring the authority of Congress and the states to establish reasonable rules governing campaign contributions, election spending, transparency, and disclosure. Its proposed For Our Freedom Amendment would not dictate specific campaign finance laws. Instead, it would return these important policy decisions to the people through their elected representatives, while respecting constitutional free speech protections.
The movement has made remarkable progress. Since 2025, twenty-five states—half the nation—have formally passed resolutions urging Congress to propose the For Our Freedom Amendment. Those states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
That milestone is significant. Although these resolutions do not amend the Constitution, they demonstrate growing support across states that are conservative, liberal, and politically competitive alike. The message is clear: concern about the influence of money in politics is not a partisan issue—it is an American issue.
The For Our Freedom Amendment will not solve every challenge facing our democracy. It will, however, restore the ability of the American people—acting through Congress and their state legislatures—to decide what reasonable campaign finance laws should look like. That is how representative government was designed to function.
As citizens, we may disagree on what those laws should be. But we should all be able to agree that the people, through their elected representatives, should have the authority to make those decisions.
So - Who should decide the rules governing money in our elections—unelected judges or the American people acting through Congress and their state legislatures?
Doesn't that authority belong with the people?
Learn more about the For Our Freedom Amendment, consider the arguments on all sides, and decide for yourself. If you believe every citizen's voice should matter—not just those with the deepest pockets—become informed and involved.
Learn more at American Promise: https://americanpromise.net
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/01/us/capitol-rioters-non-voters-invs
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-save-act-would-disenfranchise-millions-of-citizens/
https://campaignlegal.org/update/what-you-need-know-about-save-act
https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/9-things-to-know-about-the-proposed-save-act
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22/text
https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voter-turnout-2018-2022/
https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb771
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