We seek to change the political climate of America by facilitating a shift from hyper-partisanship to post-partisanship through an open dialogue between politicians and their constituents. In service of that goal, here are the core values that we embody and that we believe our political, financial, and legal systems should embody:

Transparency
Our government must be open, honest, and completely transparent, except in extremely rare cases involving national security where full disclosure would adversely impact the ability to serve the public good. Even in cases when full public disclosure of details isn’t possible for a time, there are ways to ensure transparency and openness of process. The people have a right to know everything that their government is doing unless a vital national interest requires otherwise, and even then, there are limits to how long things can be kept secret.

Inclusion

ALL citizens should be included in our political process, by voting, running for and holding office, and being heard on issues and initiatives. If everyone can’t participate, our government isn’t truly serving the people. Measures that impede Americans’ ability to participate in our political process are not acceptable when their impact on inclusion is disproportionate to the harm they are intended to protect against. We will always err on the side of inclusion when it comes to the voices of the people.

Accountability

Our representatives must carry out the will of all of those who elect them, not just those who fund their campaigns or lobby the loudest, and the people should have the ability to recall or override the work of representatives who are not carrying out their will.

Fairness

Our systems, including our political, judicial, and economic systems, should have basic ground rules that apply to everyone in the same way without exceptions, regardless of how much money they have or how much influence they wield.

Public Good

The concept of the public good must be restored to its proper place at the top of the list of considerations in policy discussions. Government resources, including taxpayer dollars, should be spent in ways that benefit and protect the public as a whole, not just a subset of wealthy or influential people or corporations. What is good for the public as a whole is not always the same as what is good for one segment of it. For example, laws, regulations, or the lack thereof that might be best for big business might adversely impact public or common resources like the environment, public services, or public health. It is the job of government to put the public good before all else when deciding how to allocate public resources and what laws and policies to put in place.

Opportunity

With hard work, all of our citizens, not just a few of them, should have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream and create a better life for themselves and their families. Government policies should always support extending opportunity to more of our citizens, not less.

Justice

Justice applies equally to all citizens without exception. All who commit wrongs that harm the public or that break our laws should be prosecuted with equal zeal, and consequences should be commensurate with the harm caused. No one should be excluded from equal justice or suffer less serious consequences because they are wealthy or influential.