Last week marked the 15th anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision, Citizens United. The Court ruled that corporations, unions and other artificial entities can spend unlimited sums of money to influence elections. Political spending has since skyrocketed, further silencing the voices of the electorate.

Citizens United was one of the most disastrous Supreme Court decisions in our nation’s history. The influence of money in our political system has eroded public trust in our institutions. According to a recent Pew research study, only 16% of Americans trust the government to do what is right. A CBS poll showed that 72% of Americans believe that democracy is under threat and 86% point to money in politics as the primary driver.

I believe that a healthy level of skepticism is important, but when the vast majority of citizens no longer trust the government it can lead to violence and upheaval. We need to step back from the ledge and fix our broken system before it’s too late.

Fortunately, there’s a solution to the problem of unlimited and unchecked political spending. Organizations like American Promise are working on a constitutional amendment to restore the rights of states and Congress to set limits on election spending. This is the only lasting solution to overturn a Supreme Court ruling and one that is supported by 77% of voters across the political spectrum.

I urge people to check out American Promise and help restore a government of, by and for the people.

Chris Cayer
Stratton