Thom Hartmann here, progressive political commentator. Many of you know me from the #1 rated progressive nationally syndicated radio show, the Thom Hartmann Program. I’m also the author of several dozen books, including Unequal Protection: The rise of corporate dominance and theft of human rights and The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America

I'm also a long time supporter of Move to Amend!

Please support their work to end corporate personhood and the corrupting influence of billionaire money in political elections.

This effort is more important than ever before.

Recording of the discussion with Greg Coleridge, featuring his monthly series of articles exploring the cultural takeaways from significant U.S. social movements over the last two and one-half centuries that are applicable for Move to Amend’s effort to enact the We the People Amendment.

Series on Cultural Change for the We the People Amendment

• January – Introduction
• February – Abolition of Slavery
• March – Women’s Suffrage Movement
• April – Environmental Movement – including rights of nature
• May – Labor Movement
• June – LGTBQ+ Movement
• July – Colonial Revolution
• August – Peace / Anti-Nuclear Movement
• September – Civil Rights Movement
• October – Populist Movement of the 19th Century
• November – Direct Election of Senators
• December – Cultural Lessons from U.S. Movements for Advancing Move to Amend & Enacting the We the People Amendment

last in a series

Social change in U.S. history has always required both structural change – laws, institutions, constitutional amendments –  and cultural change –  a shift in shared values, beliefs, identity, and collective consciousness. However, laws follow culture. Transformative structural change has always begun with societal cultural change. People’s beliefs, identities, and shared sense of justice and inclusion shifted before laws and the constitution shifted. This sequence appeared across every major movement examined in this series. Each movement altered culture, some sooner and more deeply than others, before institutions were significantly altered.

The effort to pass the We the People Amendment, which would abolish all corporate constitutional rights and the doctrine of money as political speech, has always been more than a legal and constitutional campaign. It’s also been a cultural campaign to help supporters reorient how they think about themselves, democracy, and about who governs. Both are needed for the Amendment to pass as a first step toward greater constitutional renewal. Understanding earlier movements offers essential guidance for our movement in terms of how they changed narratives, built solidarity, empowered marginalized people, used culture (art, music, stories), and sustained momentum over years or decades.

I claim no definitive expertise on any single one of the described movements in this series,  lessons for today, or even whether the chosen movements were the  best to draw upon to compare and contrast with Move to Amend. Rigorous researchers can, no doubt, challenge particular descriptions and have differing take-a-ways of the essence of any one of the movements. The reflections represent simply my perspectives rooted in the privilege of organizing locally, state-wide and nationally for social change on a wide range of issues for over four decades, which required being exposed to people, ideas and historical and contemporary information on issues of race, gender, economic justice, peace, nonviolence, democracy, and how to create social movements.

Mindful of these limitations, here are a few important lessons learned from the ten examined movements.

The Way Through: From Overwhelm, Burnout, Despair & Anger into Effective Action

The recording is available HERE

Here are 2 other links:

• A course outline summarizing each section
• A list of Key Strategies from the workshop, plus Recommended Resources

The full self-paced course is also available online at no charge:
https://learn.radical-guide.com/courses/the-way-through-from-overwhelm-burnout-despair-anger-into-effective-action/

Move to Amend’s Position on the Transparent Election Initiative
(aka “Montana Plan”)

What it is

The Transparent Election Initiative – also known as the Montana Plan – is a proposed citizen-driven ballot measure in the state of Montana intended for the November 2026 ballot. Its goal is to eliminate the currently unlimited corporate political campaign contributions made through Super PACs and “dark money” groups, a practice that became legal following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision.

The Initiative has the potential to immediately address the root of corporate political influence by focusing on corporate charters. In the United States, corporations are legal entities (often referred to as “Artificial Persons”) created by government authority, primarily by states, to grant individuals certain powers and protections, including limited liability. Historically, corporate entities were intended to remain subordinate to the public through state legislation that defined the specific privileges and conditions necessary for conducting business, such as the ability to enter into contracts or to sue and be sued. Early corporate business charters were granted individually by state legislatures and later through general incorporation laws based on the business type. If a corporation failed to comply with the terms of its charter, the charter could be revoked, effectively dissolving the business.

What it does

From D.C. Streets to Local Power-Building

Even in a year of furloughs, political chaos, and constant “polycrisis” headlines, our affiliates and advocates have kept the We the People Amendment moving forward — in Congress, in city halls, and out in the streets. This month’s spotlight ties together a powerful moment in Washington, D.C. with the steady, gritty work happening across the country.

It takes a Social Movement, Stupid! Lessons on how to amend the Constitution and how they apply to today’s constitutional crisis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SItZbnIat8w&t=4s

Listen to the dynamic presentation and engaging discussion.

Professor Codrington is co-author of The People’s Constitution: 200 Years, 27 Amendments, and the Promise of a More Perfect Union.   

Please share near and far.

Move to Amend
https://www.movetoamend.org/

Cultural Change for the We the People Amendment

eleventh in the series

'The Bosses of the Senate' (23 January 1889). Joseph Keppler

Many U.S. constitutional amendments have addressed adding rights that were not included in the original document, revised elections for the President or changed the balance of power between the states and the federal government. The 17th Amendment is the only Amendment that deals with the structure of Congress.

The U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 3, states: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.” 

The effort to allow voters to directly elect U.S. senators was initially proposed during the constitutional convention by James Wilson, a lawyer from Pennsylvania who would later become one of the original Supreme Court Justices. He was the lone supporter. The framers thought that senators chosen by state legislatures would create legislators who would, supposedly, be more deliberate and independent when considering issues.

The issue resurfaced decades later as several U.S. Representatives introduced the Amendment in the early 1850’s. Future President Andrew Johnson, while serving as a Congressperson, proposed the Amendment in 1857.  

The momentum for the popular vote for senators increased during the next half-century over two issues: electoral deadlocks and corruption.

Our Right and Duty to Create an Equitable Democracy & Constitution

Move to Amend
https://www.movetoamend.org/