Almost 70 years after being granted autonomy under the Estado Libre Asociado, the Commonwealth status arrangement, Puerto Ricans are no longer in control of our own government and internal affairs.
As campaign costs spiral out of control, our politicians become more and more dependent on wealthy donors and corporations. This undermines the spirit of democracy, as elected officials become beholden to their biggest contributors instead of their constituents. Getting “big money” out of politics is therefore essential for democracy in the United States to be truly representative.
We often joke that the government’s solution to any given problem is to simply throw money at the issue and call it a day. However, when it comes to extreme poverty, homelessness, and lack of social mobility, investing directly in the American people is the best course of action.
“Coronavirus kills its first democracy,” proclaimed a Washington Post headline in March 2020. Hungary had just granted Viktor Orbán, its Prime Minister, virtually unchecked...
