Building an American Renewal
America was never a finished product.
Every generation inherited a country built by those who came before — and a responsibility to leave it stronger for those who come next.
Now it's our turn.
Brick by Brick is a citizen-led movement to restore something essential to American self-government: the power of the people to govern themselves.
Something Is Pulling Us Apart.
Americans have always disagreed. Sometimes fiercely.
That's democracy.
But disagreement doesn't require hatred.
Today, an enormous political and media culture profits from keeping Americans angry, frightened and focused on one another.
And division does something else.
IT DISTRACTS US.
While we're fighting over the controversy of the day, government keeps moving. Laws are written. Regulations change. Taxes and spending are decided. Special provisions are inserted. Decisions affecting our jobs, families and future are made.
Special interests understand this system extraordinarily well.
A distracted public is easier to influence because fewer citizens are watching.
We can disagree without becoming enemies. And we can start paying attention to the institution that belongs to all of us — our government.
TURN OFF DIVISIVENESS.
TURN ON TEAM AMERICA.
Public Office. Private Money.
While Americans are being encouraged to fight one another, another problem has been growing largely in plain sight.
The people we elect to represent us must raise enormous amounts of private money to get elected — and then raise it again to stay there.
That changes political competition.
Candidates aren't competing only for your vote. They're competing for the money required to reach you.
And once elected, they enter an entire economy of influence built around access, relationships, lobbying, political support and, for some, lucrative opportunities after public service.
How independent can today's public servant be when tomorrow's employer may be sitting across the table?
We Need Better Competition.
Competition is one of America's great strengths.
It makes businesses innovate. It gives consumers choices. It challenges institutions to improve.
Political competition should do the same.
Candidates should compete over ideas. Leadership. Character. Judgment. And their ability to earn your vote.
They should not have to compete over who can build the largest network of private financial support.
TAKE THE MONEY OUT.
PUT THE PEOPLE BACK IN.
Publicly financed elections won't eliminate disagreement, guarantee good politicians or solve every problem facing America.
They do something more fundamental.
They change who politicians need.
But Changing the Money Isn't Enough.
Self-government requires something from us, too.
A republic cannot function if its citizens stop paying attention, stop learning, stop participating — or begin treating fellow Americans as enemies simply because they belong to another political party.
Citizenship is more than voting every few years.
It means understanding what our government is doing.
It means questioning it. Holding it accountable. Listening to people we disagree with.
And recognizing that ultimately we are on the same team.
What Will We Hand Them?
We inherited extraordinary institutions from generations of Americans who built, defended, repaired and improved them.
They weren't perfect.
Neither are we.
Our responsibility is not merely to preserve what we inherited.
It is to leave something better.
A government capable of confronting the national debt. A healthcare system that doesn't weaken American families and American competitiveness. An education system worthy of the next generation.
A political system where public officials can ask one question before making the difficult decisions:
WHAT IS BEST FOR THE COUNTRY?
That's bigger than campaign-finance reform. It's bigger than Republicans and Democrats.
It's the continuing work of American self-government.
Building an American Renewal — Brick by Brick.
The Next Brick Is Yours.
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Brick By Brick is an informative, engaging political platform where all viewpoints are heard, respected, and openly discussed. We are creating our own political future - one brick at a time!
