The Big Ideas Project

Include Aviation pollution in any discussion of Climate change. Question/investigate how an average of 30,000 airliners per day spewing tens of thousands of gallons of fuel at altitudes that take years to cleanse each flights layer of pollution, are not creating a greenhouse effect.

Submitted by Bud Ingersoll in Environment Jan. 4, 2015, 5:07 p.m.

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#739

234 votes

ELECTORAL REFORM Free and equal elections in EVERY STATE for ALL candidates from ANY party, and proportional representation. Break the choke hold the Democratic & Republican parties have on the election process, NOW!

Submitted by GayleM in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 5:41 a.m.

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#739

234 votes

Remove the penalty against early withdrawal of retirement funds when they are to be applied to the account holder's debt reduction goals. If markets are intensely volatile, why punish those who want to make other investment decisions rather than play the lottery of stocks and bonds with retirement savings?

Submitted by Bramble in Economy & Jobs Dec. 9, 2014, 8:19 a.m.

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#743

231 votes

End the Death Penalty in all states and on the Federal level. Also eliminate life without parole.

Submitted by capprich in Civil Rights Dec. 11, 2014, 5:52 p.m.

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#744

230 votes

Transgender men and women face more violence than the average person, by a large margin. We also commit suicide far more often than statistics for any other demographic. Employment opportunities are given to others simply because the fear of what people can't understand rules them, we cannot fight what's in another's mind. Housing is another area in which we as trans Americans are shut out of more often than not. If we are not recognized, and granted equal protection under the law, we're lost.

Submitted by rosie in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 7:37 p.m.

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#744

230 votes

Job training for inner city and rural youths

Submitted by Marvia L. from NY in Economy & Jobs Nov. 17, 2014, 9:11 p.m.

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#746

229 votes

If police are considered "Professionals",REQUIRE them to carry (and pay for themselves!) a form of Liability Insurance much like a Doctor. If they discharge their weapon or assault an unthreatening person and cause harm or death from an unprovoked incident such as we've seen recently. Cities and counties get sued by the victim/families and the TAXPAYER has to account for the potentially illegal actions of police. The police officer might think twice if INSURANCE may have to pay and rates rise.

Submitted by rhodge in Civil Rights Dec. 10, 2014, 5:41 p.m.

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#746

229 votes

Implement Warren Buffett's proposal for a federal minimum effective tax rate of 30% on those with income over $1 million and 35% on income over $10 million, considering all sources of income (e.g., wages, capital gains, carried interest, and dividends). The top 400 taxpayers paid an effective federal tax rate of 26.4% in 1992 but 19.9% in 2009. This is known as the "Warren Buffett Rule" based on his NYT Op Ed "A Minimum Tax for the Wealthy" in November 2012.

Submitted by Peter Birmingham in Taxes & Budget Dec. 11, 2014, 10:08 a.m.

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#746

229 votes

Put a campaign contribution cap on donations and limit it to LIVING citizens ONLY. Business Entities, special interests groups, banks CANNOT contribute anything.

Submitted by CitizenX911 in Government & Elections Dec. 10, 2014, 8:52 p.m.

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#749

228 votes

Instant runoff voting (a.k.a. ranked choice voting) so a person can vote for who they really WANT without risking helping the candidate they hate.

Submitted by Nancy O'Hagan in Government & Elections Nov. 16, 2014, 9:23 p.m.

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#749

228 votes

Mandate that all jobs are union jobs.Unions are the only way a person has even a few rights against these rapacious companies who intimidate poor people any way they can.

Submitted by Jim B. from ME in Economy & Jobs Jan. 3, 2015, 7:38 p.m.

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#749

228 votes

End the drug war. Spend some money on persuading users to get help, and on making users' lives bearable without drugs. (Like the anti-tobacco campaign.) It will be much less costly than prosecuting and jailing so many people, and will help make "minority" communities feel less oppressed.

Submitted by RuralMontana in Society & Community Dec. 26, 2014, 12:18 p.m.

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#749

228 votes

Require the military age descendants of congress to serve in every war they approve. They souldn't be thinking their wars will be fought by the children of the poor. Noones children are expendable.

Submitted by Nancy C. from CO in Foreign Policy & Military Dec. 10, 2014, 4:14 p.m.

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#753

227 votes

Merged Idea

Create the PEOPLES BANK The real Bank for Americans. Illuminate Reserve as a private Co The Federal Reserve will be the Peoples Bank a bank that has a fixed rate of lending with no special deals for the other Banks and NOT an Investment Bank with the privilege of playing with the deposits.

Submitted by Nigel Dandridge-Perry in Economy & Jobs Nov. 11, 2014, 4:18 p.m.

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#753

227 votes

Stop all welfare and entitlement payments to big corporations.

Submitted by Susan E. from CA in Taxes & Budget Dec. 11, 2014, 1:51 a.m.

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#753

227 votes

Outlaw lobbyists! Let only the people "talk" to their "elected" officials.

Submitted by thecatlady in Government & Elections Jan. 6, 2015, 10:16 p.m.

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#756

226 votes

Obliging all companies with more than an arbitrary number of employees to pay those who work more than 40 hours/week overtime of an additional 50% of their hourly wage. This should radically decrease unemployment and increase efficiency because overworked employees make more mistakes.

Submitted by Ira B. from FL in Economy & Jobs Nov. 17, 2014, 8:13 a.m.

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#756

226 votes

Eliminate the cap on social security contributions. Make all income, including investment income, subject to social security tax. Create a benefit plan that decreases benefits as income from other retirement sources increases. This assures that the wealthy assume more responsibility for the welfare of those who contributed the labor that resulted in their accumulated wealth. The wealthy would have only contributed a small percentage of their total earnings and kept the largest percentage.

Submitted by Robert L. from OH in Taxes & Budget Dec. 19, 2014, 1:04 a.m. 1

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#756

226 votes

Full-spectrum and holistic curriculum in sex education in the public school system from grade school through secondary school. More and more children are discovering their sex and gender identities at earlier ages, but they are taught in the public school system that these identities are unjust, immoral, and just wrong, thus resulting in rising numbers of youth and teen suicide. Re-evaluate the public education stance on sex education so that our children have hope for a better future.

Submitted by Jeffrey J. from AL in Health Dec. 9, 2014, 1 a.m.

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#756

226 votes

Unused medicine should be returnable to where you bought it--ultimately to the Phamacutical company that made it. These drugs could then be redistributed to the poor, or 3rd world countries.

Submitted by Gregg G. from VT in Health Nov. 18, 2014, 1:57 a.m.

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#760

225 votes

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