The preamble of the Declaration of Independence states that government derives its power solely from the "consent of the governed" — the "we the people" that famously begins our constitution. The framers took great pains to ensure that this dependency on the people alone was protected — yet Congress has lost its ability to act as an independent institution because a dependency upon the people has been replaced by a dependency on money and all that entails.

Today, as we celebrate our independence and unity as a nation, we call on all good souls in politics to reaffirm the sovereignty of "we the people" by pledging to do what it takes to end the corrupting influence of money in our government.

Take the Anti Corruption Pledge »

We don't claim to have all the answers — we are aware that many ideas for reform exist and we support those efforts — but we are confident that the path to change begins in the hearts and minds of the great people of this nation. To that end we at Rootstrikers commit to educate, engage and inspire a movement of citizens to:

• Provide that public elections are publicly funded.
• Limit, and make transparent, independent political expenditures.
• Close the revolving door between Congress and K Street lobbying culture.
• Reaffirm that when the Declaration of Independence spoke of entities "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," it was speaking of natural persons only.

Join us in making this pledge »

If you've already signed, please call on your representatives in Congress to take the pledge »

It's time for all good souls in politics to strike at the root of this problem and restore the people power first articulated in 1776. For all their faults and personal disagreements, the framers shared the courage and resolve to take a principled stand against injustice and tyranny — will you?

Happy Independence Day.


By the way, we just published the Republic, Lost study guide a collaborative project of Rootstrikers across the country. Read it, share it with your friends, and join a meetup in your community to help grow this movement.