Written by Carol A. Bouldin   

Our system of government is broken. Record levels of corruption, greed, and disregard for the rights, needs, and well-being of the citizenry have rendered it useless and even harmful. Instead of looking out for its citizens as is its duty, the government currently operates to shield and enable those who would subvert our democracy for their own ends and has become a kind of plutoidiocracy, the craven abandonment of fairness by those in power being exceeded only by their obdurate stupidity and denial of reality. Now is the time for a different kind of political movement—an anti-partisan movement founded on an entirely different principle than any of the present parties, solely devoted to restoring the government to, for, and by the people. I am calling this movement the People Power Party.

The People Power Party offers an alternative to political parties that have, as our first President George Washington observed, an inherent tendency towards despotism because they seek to dominate other groups and often do not act in the interest of the common good. Further, political parties are prone to corruption, selling out to the highest bidder and being willing to discard any group or principle if it means more power for the party machine. Political parties actively discourage any real dissent or dialogue, coercing party members into unthinkingly marching in lockstep to the party line as they engage in a tug-of-war with their opponents, causing more and more polarization and encouraging knee-jerk reactionism rather than free-thinking rationality or heartfelt discourse. Our system has become entropic as a result of this constant jockeying for power. An alternate course would be to restructure government so that power is shared as democratically as possible, which would help safeguard against corruption or tyranny by any group, including the majority.

The purpose and ideology of the People Power Party, in contrast to political parties, would not be the establishment of a political party in the usual sense of the word as it would be limited to the principle of confronting corruption in government and creating a truly representative system focused on issues, principles, and merit rather than amassing power. The name People Power Party has been chosen to identify the movement because it is appealingly alliterative, easy to remember, and connotes a social event, not because it would seek recognition as a political party on any ballot; it is an affiliation in spirit only. The People Power Party movement sends a powerful message: that the corrupt, self-serving stranglehold that the two major political parties have had on our government is rejected, and that people are uniting across the political spectrum to create a truly representative government for all citizens. The People Power Party would therefore not support a candidate simply because of a party or label or accept woefully inadequate candidates just because they supposedly are the “lesser of two evils”; instead it would support the candidate most dedicated to the principle of returning the government to representing the PEOPLE by committing to work on some concrete objectives to that end. More importantly, it would not rely merely on electing people to office, but on the power of the electorate to effect change directly.

The People Power Party movement’s overarching goal of reclaiming our republic and returning it to “of the people, by the people, and for the people” would be sought by pursuing the restructuring of government to maximize citizen participation, the democratic process, and representation. It would work as a powerful force behind the scenes, seeking no fanfare or recognition, without identified leaders, and as such would not be beholden to any personalities who might sabotage it, thereby eliminating the tendency towards hero worship that so plagues our public life. In keeping with the mission of returning the government to the people, The People Power Party would declare independence from the present broken system and commit itself to pursuing the following actions:

The People Power Party Platform


1. Register to vote as “decline to state”, the only truly independent voter status
2. Restore Constitutional protections and rights to citizens; end unconstitutional corporate “personhood”
3. Eliminate plutocratic rule by the wealthy elite by establishing a true citizen legislature, with representatives from all walks of life representing the people rather than career politicians representing the interests of their paymasters
4. End the duopoly of the two major parties by eliminating all political parties and substituting an issues-based rating system
5. Abolish the electoral college; end the practice of gerrymandering districts
6. Make all governmental entities and actions transparent
7. Establish fair elections, uniform term limits, and public funding of elections; require political candidates to defend/debate positions openly with all candidates; institute a ballot choice of “None of the Above” in all primary elections
8. Double the number of representatives, extend Washington work week to an actual 5 days; reduce salaries of public servants by half and end lifetime benefits
9. Require clear, objective, contractual goals when filing to run for office; initiate probationary periods for representatives and the President; streamline recall process if not acting in accordance with the platform on which they campaigned; initiate impeachment proceedings or sue for breach of contract in extreme cases
10. Establish citizen review boards which would oversee Congress, the Supreme Court, and the President, and which would track their performance and hold them accountable
11. End corporate lobbying and bailouts and shut the revolving door between the corporate world and government
12. End the ability of Congress to approve its own salary limits or issue itself raises by requiring voter approval; award raises to representatives based on merit and performance; make Congress subject to the same laws and benefits as the citizens
13. Eliminate all lifetime appointments, set 10-year limit on term of Supreme Court justices, increase number of justices to 11 (not including chief justice), establish minimum job qualifications, require higher standards/experience on the court for chief justice, and clear path to removal by citizen review board for corruption/conflict of interest/partiality
14. Reduce the glamour of the Presidency and Congress by eliminating courting by corporate world, excessive vacations, unnecessary junkets; institute minimum job qualifications; limit executive office to one 6-yr. term
15. Require all corporate entities, Wall Street, and the banks to abide by fair practice rules that obligate them to act toward the public good and impose heavy sanctions if they fail to act to protect the public, including mandatory prison sentences in cases of serious harm such as major environmental disasters or degradation, financial crises due to malfeasance
16. Set environmental standards to truly protect the public, break up the big banks, utilities, and media corporations; end the Federal Reserve
17. Establish citizen review boards to monitor the government agencies that are charged with oversight of corporations, Wall Street, and the banking industry (the EPA, SEC, FCC, FDA) to ensure they are acting in the public interest and which are empowered to swiftly discipline, sanction, and/or remove ineffective or corrupt officials


While the mission of returning the governing of the country to its citizens is extremely serious, in order to remain grounded and centered and temper any tendencies towards zealotry in the process, the People Power Party would strive to maintain a sense of humor and not take itself too seriously. In this spirit of fun, it could become known as the Pee Pee Party, or if you will, the We We Party (for We the People), in either case free to go wherever it chooses to do its business! It could also be known as “The Movement” which, like a good cathartic, will work to remove the excrement from our political process. Let the People Party Down!