Every time I hold town hall meetings here in IL-06, folks ask me the same thing:

Why can’t Congress enact policies that the majority of Americans support?

Universal background checks on gun purchases, abortion rights, closing corporate tax loopholes, mandatory paid family leave – these all seem like no-brainer policies that most of us would get behind in a heartbeat.

And when folks ask me that question, they often blame corruption or gerrymandering for preventing the federal government from doing its job.

In truth, by frustrating and blocking the will of the American people, the system is working exactly as intended.

But I won’t just throw in the towel. I’ve got a plan to fix it: my new bill package, A Common Sense Vision for American Democracy.

I’ll get more into the weeds on this in just a moment, but first, could I ask you to pitch in $10 or more to my fight for better government in Washington?

There are three main institutions that stand in the way of the popular will: The Senate, the Supreme Court, and the Electoral College.

First, the Senate:

The “small-state bias” in the Senate means that Democrats – and popular Democratic policies – are at an enormous disadvantage in the Senate.

During the 2018 midterms, Democrats won close to 18 million more votes for the Senate than Republicans, and Republicans still gained two seats.

I’ve proposed a constitutional amendment that would add 12 at-large senators to be elected by national popular vote – a change that would finally strike a fair balance between the needs of small states and the will of the American people.

Then, the Supreme Court:

Last year, six unelected right-wing judges single-handedly struck down abortion rights for millions of Americans. That right-wing majority has also been responsible for blocking dozens of other broadly popular policies and laws in recent years.

It’s bad for all voters – Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between – when a far-right Supreme Court can blatantly ignore the public will in favor of their own unpopular and regressive views.

That’s why I’ve proposed a bill which would create a brand-new court to handle most cases involving the federal government, made up of 13 justices randomly selected from across the nation.

The result: a fairer and less politicized court that respects the choices of the American people.

Finally, the Electoral College:

Since 2000, Democrats won the popular vote in five of the six presidential elections. But in two of those races, the Electoral College handed the presidency to the Republican who lost the popular vote.

In a democracy, the candidate who wins the most votes should actually become president. That’s why I’ve proposed to fix this imbalance by increasing the number of electors from the most populous states, as well as adding 12 electors who must vote for the winner of the national popular vote.

Trust me, I know it’s an ambitious plan. But I refuse to sit back and watch our government drift further and further into the hands of the anti-democratic MAGA right.

But we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take – so I’m asking you to pitch in $10 or more to help me make my vision for a better democracy a reality.

– Sean Casten