Overview
Most federal reform efforts fail because they depend on Congress — or the Supreme Court — to fix the system that benefits them. Citizens Rise takes a different path. Strategy 7 uses state ballot initiatives to bypass political gridlock and directly enact anti-corruption laws at the state level, where voters still hold real power.
Ballot initiatives are how we take reform out of Washington and put it in the hands of citizens. They allow firewall laws, trigger rules, debate access guarantees, and transparency enforcement to be passed by voters themselves, even when lawmakers refuse.
The Problem
- Congress won’t act, and the Supreme Court has legalized unlimited outside spending
- Most state legislatures are heavily gerrymandered or captured by special interests
- Even popular reforms are blocked or gutted before they reach a vote
Ballot initiatives break that cycle. But they’re not easy — they require planning, funding, legal vetting, and field organization. Citizens Rise is building the infrastructure to make them possible.
What This Strategy Does
Citizens Rise supports state-level ballot campaigns to:
- Pass firewall laws and trigger-based disclosure systems
- Guarantee public debate access and transparency in political ads
- Strengthen corporate charter enforcement and contractor compliance
- Push back against preemption laws that block reform at the local level
We prioritize swing states and vulnerable democracies, where money has the most impact — and where victory can shift national norms.
How It Works
- Target Selection: Identify states with citizen initiative power, favorable ballot access rules, and high risk from Big Money influence
- Legal Design: Draft bulletproof model laws vetted by constitutional experts and aligned with firewall architecture
- Campaign Infrastructure: Recruit coalitions, build volunteer teams, raise seed funding, and deploy digital tools
- Voter Engagement: Use Democracy Credits, debate access, and grassroots platforms to activate voters and amplify reform candidates
This strategy builds from local wins toward national pressure. One firewall law at a time.
Implementation Phases
- Phase 1: Prioritize 2–3 pilot states with strong ballot laws (e.g., Arizona, Michigan, Oregon)
- Phase 2: Launch digital infrastructure to support signature gathering, compliance, and education
- Phase 3: Coordinate parallel reforms in additional states, using shared templates and tech
- Phase 4: Scale the model into a permanent initiative network — built to pass and defend democracy laws
Why It Matters
Ballot initiatives are how regular people bypass political elites — and beat them. They’ve been used to pass ethics laws, expand voting rights, and legalize change that politicians wouldn’t touch.
This strategy doesn’t just protect democracy. It democratizes reform itself. Because the best way to defeat a rigged system… is to go around it.