Declaration of The People
A Refocused Vision for a Country Once Again of, by and for
the People
To ensure a representative democracy and keep the exceptional promise of our Republic, it is necessary for the people to address the failures of our political system and reaffirm our unity and our right to equal representation as citizens of the United States of America.
On the 17th of May, 2019, one hundred committed and concerned citizens from each of the United States, the District of Columbia and a United States territory, representing diverse backgrounds and ideologies, gathered in the nation’s capital. The People established that our American Values are in jeopardy. We convened from a place of necessity, for the stakes are too high, and if a path of complacency continues, the fate of the Republic will be at risk.
Too often, those governing execute policy at the expense of the governed. We come together, with shared feelings of frustration, Patriotism, renewed motivation, and invite the people to be the Common Good solution so that our Popular Sovereignty guides our Republic once more.
The people of the United States, the District of Columbia and the United States territories are created equal with certain inalienable rights including Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. To secure these rights, the power of the government should come from the people. Therefore we stand in the pursuit of a United States of America:
Where we have a healthy government that depends on a culture of informed citizen engagement, and that promotes, supports and empowers the civic action of all Americans.
Where freedom places in the hands of the people the opportunity to be catalysts for great change. We hold true to the ideal that we value all Americans, our commonalities and our differences, and where we choose unity over discord, compromise over partisanship, and civility over hostility.
Where the people have a fundamental right to live as they wish, to believe what they want and to be free from government interference in their choices. Where we must be brave enough to believe in each other, for if we restore faith in ourselves as individuals, we strengthen our country. But where we recognize that government may — and must — regulate certain aspects of life for the Common Good if they put the safety of others at risk or directly infringe upon the rights of another person.
Where American businesses of all sizes thrive and our citizens are healthy, educated and prosperous and where government spending, tax rules and benefits are determined through a fair and equitable process that is transparent, data driven and reflects the will of the people.
Where all qualified candidates are or may be on equal footing and win based on merit, integrity and experience and not on money.
Where a representative government of transparency, accountability and integrity is accessible to all Americans.
Where we recognize the importance for each of us to cast an informed vote and exercise our right to elect those we seek to govern us. Where citizens have a right to a transparent election that is executed with integrity and allows equitable access to voting.
We can no longer accept:
The decline of civic education, which has led to a disparity between claiming the benefits and taking on the responsibilities of citizenship.
The increasing difficulty citizens face in identifying reliable, unbiased sources of information to inform their decision-making and their political engagement.
The fact that citizen impact is undermined by low voter participation and structural barriers to citizen action.
The imbalance between the rights of the individual and the Common Good that leads to abuse of power.
The failure of our representatives to represent the people, reflected by the corrupting influence of money in politics.
The failure of our representatives to represent the people, due to gerrymandering and a broken electoral system.
The failure of our representatives to represent the people, due to restricted voting access.
The failure of our representatives to represent the people by avoiding accountability through dishonesty.
The absence of civic education which results in an electorate that is unprepared to take on the fundamental tasks of a democracy.
The laws and practices that result in systemic suppression for any citizen and prevent full participation in the electoral process.
The threats to the security and integrity of ballots.
That too often the media have been incentivized to safeguard their profits over our values.
That elected officials divide us in order to win for themselves and their parties instead of uniting us for the good of the country.
That the Common Good has suffered as individual rights have deteriorated.
That taxpayer funds are not being effectively used to promote small businesses and individuals.
That policy decisions are not objectively based on the Common Good, tilting the political balance in favor of elite corporations and special interests.
That people at the bottom often do not have a clear path to prosperity.
That our system causes conflicts of interest where politicians are allowed to be influenced by money.
On this 19th day of May 2019, The People declare a refocused vision for a country once again of, by and for the people.
We accept our responsibility as Diverse People to appreciate our commonality rather than pursue our divides. We also accept that our failure to do so has frayed our social fabric. We stand for Justice and Equality, and as such, we institute a new commitment to the ideals upon which our nation was founded. We choose unity over discord. We choose Truth over pretense. We choose compromise over partisanship. We choose civility over hostility. We choose to protect the United States of America from further division.
In pursuit of these American Ideals, we mutually pledge our support of this Declaration.