The Big Ideas Project

Merged Idea

Restore income tax rates for the wealthiest 2% of Americans to pre-Reagan levels.

Submitted by Anthony J. Piccione in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 11:04 a.m.

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#41

3808 votes

Address TPP trade agreement that gives companies like Monsanto power to sue governments that refuse to sign their contract that would put farmers in Third World countries in jail for four years for using family heritage seeds.

Submitted by Francia Jackson in Economy & Jobs Nov. 6, 2014, 5:17 p.m.

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#42

3671 votes

Merged Idea

Revive Civics in US High Schools. Actually TEACH our young adults how our government was formed, how it works, and MOST importantly - their role in that Government. If more citizens were educated properly about our democratic Republic as children and teens, then as voting age adults we might see more of them voting.

Submitted by Angela Marx in Education Dec. 15, 2014, 3:43 p.m.

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#43

3639 votes

Merged Idea

2 Constitutional Amendments. 1) Corporations are not people and have no Civil Rights. 2) Money does not equal speech. Until that is done every thing else is superfluous and will not work. Especially with this Extreme and Reactive Supreme Court.

Submitted by Kevin G. Farrell in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 4:42 p.m.

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#44

3595 votes

Merged Idea

A Wall Street sales tax—taxing financial transactions. A modest set of taxes on trades of stock, bonds, and derivatives could raise a vast amount of money—quite possibly more than $1 trillion over a decade. Virtually all the money would come from Wall Street since most people will cut back their trading in proportion to the increase in costs. In addition, a tax would reduce speculation and possible lessen the volatility in financial markets.

Submitted by Dean Baker, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 1:36 a.m. 1

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#45

3593 votes

Merged Idea

A maximum wage for CEOs. The average American company pays its CEO 475 times the wage of their average worker. That ratio has skyrocketed since 1950 & more than tripled since 2000. Congress should act to limit maximum compensation of high income executives to 25 times their lowest paid employee. This would slow down economic inequality, encourage companies to raise worker's wages, and put the US more in line with the rest of the world.

Submitted by Working Families Party in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:57 a.m.

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#46

3487 votes

Merged Idea

Remove non-profit (tax exempt) status for professional sports organizations like the multi-billion dollar per year NFL

Submitted by Robert E. Sojka in Taxes & Budget Dec. 10, 2014, 4:58 p.m.

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#47

3407 votes

A tip is not a wage. Due to an unfair loophole, the restaurant industry gets away with paying them a subminimum wage as low as $2.13 an hour in 43 states. Forced to live entirely off customer tips, 90% of female tipped restaurant workers report experiencing sexual harassment (70% of servers are women). We propose eliminating the lower wage for tipped workers, and requiring all employers to directly pay their workers a fair minimum wage.

Submitted by Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:20 a.m.

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#48

3364 votes

Guaranteed net neutrality. Don't let the cable companies slow down public access so that those with big pockets can pay to speed theirs up

Submitted by Sequoia in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 3:19 p.m.

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#49

3338 votes

Merged Idea

WWII-scale mobilization to restore a climate that is safe, stable, & supportive of human civilization. Rapidly expand our carbon-neutral energy & agricultural systems, conduct groundbreaking research, & implement large-scale adaptation measures. As in WWII, full employment will be achieved. Reduce net greenhouse gas emissions 100 percent. Deployment of measures that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere until a safe climate is restored.

Submitted by Michelle M, The Climate Mobilization in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 12:18 a.m. 3

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#50

3316 votes

Merged Idea

END GERRYMANDERING. At the state level, attempt to implement Iowa or California-style nonpartisan distracting commissions . On the national level, pass a bill in congress requiring that all US House districts be drawn by such a commission, either one implemented by the individual states or, in states which refuse to do so, a federal one (using congress's constitutionally delegated power to regulate its own elections)

Submitted by Joshua Rosenthal in Government & Elections Dec. 16, 2014, 10:52 p.m. 1

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#51

3266 votes

Mandate the use of new energy (Solar, wind, etc.) in all new construction.

Submitted by Greg Clarke in Environment Nov. 9, 2014, 12:02 p.m.

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#52

3216 votes

Merged Idea

The previous administration lied about torture and lied to get us into a war in Iraq. Those in the highest positions are responsible for torture and deaths of innocent iraqis and bringing us into a needless war because of false information and they should be brought to justice for their crimes.

Submitted by Jack D. from WA in Civil Rights Dec. 17, 2014, 5:30 p.m.

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#53

3175 votes

Merged Idea

Protecting our water for consumers. Water is the "new oil". Corporations should not be allowed to pollute and drain our water reserves.

Submitted by Chris E. from CA in Environment Nov. 17, 2014, 4:08 p.m.

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#54

3171 votes

It’s time to return the U.S. to a system of debt-free college. Today, most students borrow to pay for college, and average debt has ballooned. Both students of color and low-income students are much more likely to take on debt, betraying our nation’s promise of equal opportunity and upward mobility. This shift to a debt-based system is both recent and radical, but we can return to debt-free college by reforming financial aid and encouraging states to re-invest in their colleges.

Submitted by Mark Huelsman, Senior Policy Analyst at Demos in Education Dec. 10, 2014, 1:11 a.m.

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#55

3155 votes

Merged Idea

We need to go back to sustainable farming and put an end to Big Ag and large commercial farms that abuse animals and fill them with antibiotics and hormones, feed them pesticide ridden GMO food that contaminates our environment and our bodies!! We need to do away with ALL AG-GAG laws and make workers and corporations who abuse farm animals face strict penalties!

Submitted by Steph Trujillo in Environment Dec. 10, 2014, 3:15 p.m.

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#56

3153 votes

Merged Idea

Major infrastructure investment. Fund a sustained program of $400 billion per year in total non-military physical domestic infrastructure investment using a combination of direct federal borrowing and federal credit support for state and local programs. It would create 4 million direct jobs in place for 10 years, plus jobs created through the impact on consumer demand, plus more jobs created by manufacturing the materials and otherwise indirectly supporting this infrastructure investment.

Submitted by Damon Silvers, Policy Director of the AFL-CIO in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 2:06 a.m. 1

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#57

3152 votes

Merged Idea

Get money out of politics by making all federal, state and local campaign run on public funding.

Submitted by Anthony J. Piccione in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 11:11 a.m. 2

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#58

3110 votes

Stop the revolving door between government and corporations! Corporations control many of our Federal Government Agencies by placing their people in positions of authority. For example Wall Street controls the Treasury and Federal reserve and Pharmaceutical companies control the Food & Drug Administration. They don't represent Middle Class America! We need politicians in office like Elizabeth Warren to speak out and force change.

Submitted by Bill McElyea, MS Ed in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 4:57 p.m.

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#59

3094 votes

Tax gun sales, much like tobacco sales, hold gun makers accountable for their product thus taking the cost of death and injuries off the tax payers. And maybe slow gun violence.

Submitted by Shirley Blanton in Taxes & Budget Nov. 9, 2014, 9:19 a.m.

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#60

3083 votes

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