It seems as if most are aware of 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’s big political ideas. We know that he wants all Americans to have access to free health care and that he wants to tax the wealthy. But what about his less discussed takes on issues?
For example, did you know that Sanders wants post offices to offer banking services? This will make sure that poor families don’t fall victim to greedy loan sharks or banks with unbelievably high interest rates.
According to Sanders’s website, in 2017 almost 50% of Black families either didn’t have a bank account, or were in an area where there were a limited number of banks. Having a bank account is crucial, as they can federally insure your money and also help you establish credit.
We’re going to discuss a few more of Sanders’ plans for government, financial, and societal reform. Get into our list of his not so well known stances below.
1. He wants to do away with the electoral college.
In 1787, a decade after the United States decided to become an independent nation, the country’s so-called founders drew up and signed the constitution. When detailing the functions of each branch of government, they went to great lengths so that no one branch would become too powerful. This was the introduction of the electoral college, a group of electors who ultimately vote for president, as a reflection of everyday people’s votes.
With the electoral college, a candidate can win the popular vote, but still lose the election. This has left some Americans feeling powerless and confused.
“It is hard to defend a system in which we have a president who lost the popular vote by three million votes,” Sanders said to Newsweek when they asked if he’d put an end to the electoral college. “So the answer is yes.”
2. He also wants to change how presidential candidates raise money.
According to Politico, most Democratic presidential candidates have publicly agreed to stop accepting funds from huge political action committees (Super PACs). But this doesn’t mean that everyone has to keep their word (even prior to the campaign, some struggled with this and went on to find loopholes) or that accepting cash from PACs is illegal.
If elected, Sanders will put nonnegotiable financing laws in place for every federal election, as shared on his site—and continue his fight to overturn Citizens United, a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations to spend unlimited money in elections. His website also reveals that he wants to ban corporate donations period, and cap individual donations at $500.
“A few wealthy individuals and corporations have bought up our private sector and now they’re buying up the government,” Sanders posted on Facebook in early 2019. “Campaign finance reform is the most important issue facing us today, because it impacts all the others.
3. Sanders thinks that everyone should have access to high-speed internet.
The internet has become such a key part of Gen Z’s existence that we often forget that it’s technically a luxury. Even in 2020, not everyone has access to Wi-Fi, and some are restricted to surfing the web in public spaces during designated hours.
But consider students with families who can’t afford a monthly internet package. Research papers, mandatory online quizzes, and other online school related activities will not be completed, which will likely cause their grades to plummet simply because they don’t have the proper resources.
Also, the Internet is how the president has chosen to share formal memos, how small businesses thrive, and also how a growing number of people take in daily news.
Sanders’s plan for wide-spread, high-speed internet includes ending “Internet, telecom, and cable” monopolies.
Americans would be granted $150 billion through grants and technical assistance to make his vision reality.
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