The Big Ideas Project

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

Require Labeling of GMO foods, so people are informed about what they are eating, and can make intelligent choices. "Those that try to keep things secret, do so to control others."

Submitted by Brian Z. in Health Dec. 10, 2014, 1:32 p.m.

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#74

2734 votes

Merged Idea

Super High Speed Trains (over 300 MPH). If the French, Japanese, Chinese can accomplish these trains why are we stuck with Airlines. Forget Keystone Pipeline for jobs, a high speed train system would employ a lot of workers. additionally, after completion unlike Keystone again it would require a lot of workers

Submitted by Piepie6 in Infrastructure & Technology Dec. 10, 2014, 1:41 a.m. 1

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#111

2009 votes

Anyone who has served a full sentence for a felony or a reduced sentence plus a probation of a year or more should be eligible to vote, nationwide.

Submitted by Timothy Salt in Civil Rights Dec. 16, 2014, 3:53 p.m. 1

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#72

2762 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

Eliminate Corporate Welfare.

Submitted by Don B. from CA in Taxes & Budget Dec. 17, 2014, 3:42 a.m.

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#106

2064 votes

Merged Idea

Radical revision of nafta and block tpp. We need trade policies! We need to stop paying manufacturers to offshore!

Submitted by Todd C. from OR in Economy & Jobs Nov. 9, 2014, 12:24 p.m.

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#117

1907 votes

Recommit to applying, and then expand, our anti-trust laws so that "too big to fail" banks and other corporations are too big to exist (without getting broken up into much smaller pieces). That would be a good first step toward getting control of our political system and economy out of the hands of giant corporations.

Submitted by Richard W. from NM in Economy & Jobs Dec. 10, 2014, 1:54 p.m.

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#110

2015 votes

End the ability of elected officials to tack on their specific addendum into a proposed piece of legislation at the last minute when others don't know it's been done there.

Submitted by Linda, RN, BSN, MHA in Government & Elections Jan. 7, 2015, 10:20 p.m.

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#111

2009 votes

Take the issue of women's right to choose and abort an unwanted pregnancy off the table in politics; it's a woman's personal decision, not the government's. It should be a basic right to choose and not up for grabs every election. The hardest hit by this are the poor and minorities. It's wrong to subject someone to a pregnancy if they can't or don't want to raise a child. Keep politics out of such decisions!

Submitted by Lynn Putnam (Food Revolution Network, T. Colin Campbell Foundation) in Health Jan. 7, 2015, 10:41 p.m. 2

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#88

2434 votes

Paid maternity/paternity leave for new parents (similar to Canada and European countries). It's a disgrace that the United States is one of only three of 85 industrialized nations who doesn't have paid maternity leave (even Pakistan has 12 weeks). New moms are NOT ready to leave their newborns after 2 weeks (vacation) or 6 weeks (short term disability if they are lucky) and it's not good for the baby either. How about one of the parties actually supporting family friendly policies?

Submitted by Tammy V. from FL in Health Dec. 10, 2014, 4:41 p.m.

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#124

1814 votes

Limit the amount of money politicians can spend on elections. The incredible amounts spent now could feed the poor, house the homeless, allow people to get the dental and mental health assistance they need, etc. Instead of being greedy, they need to think of the people who can't live the way they do and work harder and take pay cuts.

Submitted by Nancy Y. from ME in Government & Elections Jan. 4, 2015, 4:17 p.m.

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#73

2756 votes

An educational marketing campaign for democracy. "We have a better philosophy: democracy." The problem is that corporate special interest groups are winning the marketing battle with ideas like smaller government and "freedom". Reviving the big conceptual idea of democracy would help progressives win on just about every policy front: repealing Citizens United, getting money out of politics, the Fairness Doctrine, Voting Rights, public financing of elections, fair and non-partisan elections, public

Submitted by akadjian in Government & Elections Dec. 15, 2014, 1:10 p.m. 1

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#101

2107 votes

Remove tax advantages for churches that promote candidates, specific parties and platforms.

Submitted by Marilyn Nyborg in Government & Elections Jan. 4, 2015, 4:26 p.m.

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#66

2892 votes

Merged Idea

Electronic hacking of computerized vote tabulation is an immanent threat to Democracy. We need to revert to manual voting where the actual vote can be verified. Karl Rove has already mastered the art of electronic voter fraud even though no one in the media wants to admit it.

Submitted by Chris C. from TN in Civil Rights Dec. 17, 2014, 12:44 p.m. 1

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#79

2659 votes

Pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which would cover a number of problems for women--equal pay, the right to determine what happens with their bodies (rape. which would become battery and abortion, which would simply be a right). It passed in the '70's and now would be a bellwether to show who in Congress supports women and simply who does not.

Submitted by Mary T. from WA in Civil Rights Dec. 29, 2014, 2:15 p.m.

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#113

1975 votes

It is absurd the US is the only industrialized country that does not provide healthcare insurance to every one of its citizens. It is long past time we had a comprehensive uniform national healthcare insurance program under the federal government. All other insurance would be eliminated. Everyone would be required to have it and employers only should be given the option to contribute. Existing insurance companies would be contracted to administer the program under uniform federal standards.

Submitted by Stuart in Health Jan. 4, 2015, 12:32 p.m.

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#140

1646 votes

Enforce existing regulations on 501 C4 corporations if their primarily existence is political they should lose their status as a non profit, i.e. CrossroadsGPS.

Submitted by David Myers in Government & Elections Nov. 14, 2014, 9:21 p.m.

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#116

1915 votes

Background checks for all gun buyers and stricter gun laws. If you are afraid of a background check, you probably shouldn't have access to a gun.

Submitted by Phyllis M. from CT in Civil Rights Nov. 11, 2014, 4:09 p.m.

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#63

2944 votes

Reverse Reaganomics, reform the banking sector, and strongly enforce, broaden and modernize our nation's anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws! Give America back to the people and legitimate businesses. Let's rebuild America, starting with infrastructure, Public Education, All outsourced jobs back home! We are the most productive people in the world. Let Americans once again enjoy the fruits of their labor, and NEVER return to Rule by Aristocracy.

Submitted by America Held Hostage in Economy & Jobs Jan. 4, 2015, 8:06 p.m. 1

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#67

2876 votes

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