About Us
If government OF the people is to be government FOR the people, we must have… GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE.
Government by the People is a political action committee dedicated to electing candidates who will represent people, instead of corporate interests; reforming our electoral process to make it easier for candidates with grassroots support to win elections, and using the initiative process to pass needed legislation in the 24 states that give citizens the power to propose and pass legislation, including constitutional amendments, without the involvement or approval of a state’s legislature or governor. Government by the People is designed to serve as an organizing hub for groups (and individual citizens) that share these goals.
We intend to utilize our “People’s Platform” to identify candidates who support legislation needed and desired to “promote the general welfare. We will utilize the initiative
The status quo is well defended by the people in power within the present system. Our People’s Platform and he initiative process are the best means at our disposal to work within the system to change the system. We are recruiting an army of volunteers and a coalition of supportive organizations to work together to get critical legislation passed into law.
We have already launched our inaugural petition campaign in Missouri (for proportional representation in the state legislature). We hope to establish active chapters in other states soon. Getting this reform passed in Missouri and other states through the initiative will offer powerful proof of the power of genuine democracy. Reforms like this will prove contagious over time. Although you must be a registered voter in Missouri to sign our petition, there are many other ways to help, especially through our People’s Platform. (See “How You Can Help” – under “Our Plan” for more information.)
Concerned citizens will find calls to action on this site that will enable you to join our campaign to elect a government of, by, and for the people. If you agree with us that bad government is the problem and good government is the solution, please consider joining our campaign regardless of where you live.
Change the rules – level the playing field – win the game!
Although it is possible to address a wide range of problems and issues using the initiative, our initial focus will be on changing the way elections are conducted.
Our political system is broken. Congress has an approval rating that ranges from 9% to 14% (depending on the survey), yet 96.4% of incumbents seeking re-election win. And the system seems to be impervious to reform. The politicians who are in office (even those in the minority party at any given time) have little interest in changing the system – they are winning within the system as it exists. A hopeless situation? Not really.
The Achilles Heel of this dysfunctional system can be found in the twenty-four states that give citizens the power to propose and pass legislation through the initiative. We intend to utilize the initiative process to change the rules that govern our elections to level the playing field and make it easier for candidates who will represent people instead of corporate interests to win the game.
Our inaugural campaign: Proportional representation in Missouri.
Proportional representation is the most powerful reform we can make to our election process, addressing all of the major problems with our electoral system that have led to our government being corrupt, unrepresentative, and dysfunctional. We are currently gathering signatures on petitions in Missouri that would change elections for seats in the General Assembly (Missouri’s state legislature) from a “winner-take-all” system with single-member districts to an ordered-party list system of proportional representation.
See the “Proportional Representation” tab on this site for a more detailed description and discussion of proportional representation and the “Our Proposal” tab for details our proposal here in Missouri.
Our petition cannot be signed online, but online tools can help you find a time and place to sign.
Our petitions are legal documents. You must be registered to vote in Missouri to sign our petition. If enough signatures are obtained by May 7, 2018, our proposal for proportional representation will be on the ballot on November 6, 2018. If approved by voters, it will become part of the Missouri Constitution. Signatures must be witnessed by the person circulating the petition. Petitions must be notarized before they are submitted. Although you cannot sign our petitions on-line, if you provide your contact information, we can use on-line tools to help you find a convenient time and place to sign.
If you have had enough of politics-as-usual, click on “Join the Campaign” to become an active part of our grassroots movement.
To provide your contact information, click on “Join the Campaign” (in the sidebar). We will then keep you informed of town hall meetings, signing parties, benefit concerts and other events in your area where you can sign our petitions. We will also inform you of the location of offices (of our supporting organizations) where you can sign during office hours.
