Screw the Political Parties and Candidates; I-194 is the Most Important Proposition on the Ballot

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the MSU Exponent, its editorial staff, advisers, or Montana State University.

Going out to vote these days feels more like a chore your mom has been nagging at you

to do than the virtuous, honorable duty that television ads make it out to be. And let’s be honest,

it doesn’t really feel like our voice will make much of a difference anyway. 

News, social media outlets, and political advertisements seem to be painting our political landscape as this unrelenting and disparaging thing, so far from our reach, that it doesn’t seem worth our time to look into the latest scandal, or at this time of year, take time out of your busy schedule to fill in some bubbles at some make-shift exam environment. Whether it's just your busy schedule or the constant headlines updating you on polling results and record breaking campaign spending,voting is not looking like a serious solution anymore. I get it, trust me. As a political science major, no one is more disheartened and down-churden than myself; however, this year, Montanans have the unique opportunity to speak up. 

This election cycle, “The Montana Plan” (otherwise known as I-194) is on the ballot: a bipartisan initiative that is attempting to hand the power back to the people, or more specifically the state, not the Elon Musks or Mark Zuckerbergs of the world. This ballot initiative is the first step to addressing campaign financing, and Montana’s efforts have the potential to create a resounding impact across the nation, but first, we need Montanans help.

So, proposition I-194, what is it? In layman's terms, it is an attempt by the state of

Montana to end dark money in political campaigns. Whether you consider yourself apolitical or

extremely obsessed in the world of politics, campaign spending affects you every day, especially

during election season. On your TV watching football or streaming your favorite influencer on

YouTube ads lighting into political candidates are inescapable. While seemingly a nuisance on

your end or something to laugh at with your friends, these ads (however entertainingly lavish

they may be) allude to a level of corruption and elitism that is effectively diminishing the

responsiveness of our representatives. Since the decision of Citizens United v. Federal

Elections Committee in 2010, unlimited campaign spending by corporations became legally

designated as free speech, setting the stage for donors to give to candidates anonymously with

little to no restrictions or accountability.

The Montana Plan seeks to overturn this decision by restricting “artificial persons” from

spending money on elections. No, I am not talking about AI, I am talking about corporations like

Meta, Google or Chevron. 

These corporations, or artificial beings, are legal entities, not

autonomous beings. State laws grant artificial persons the ability to own property, enter

contracts, and sue or be sued. Unlike real people who are born with natural rights, any form of

power afforded to corporations was granted by state authority.

 Under the current system, independent spending allows real people and artificial persons to spend unlimited amounts of money to Super PACS, political committees that make up the independent expenditures. These funds are used to pay for advertisements, campaign mailing, text messages, and other forms of communication that support or oppose candidates. Independent expenditures are not required to disclose their donors in respect to the money they used to finance their expenditures, leaving the source of potentially millions of dollars hidden from public scrutiny. This not only hides sources of funds, but also obscures the candidates intentions and motivations in running for office. However, because states hold the ability to grant corporations their powers/rights as artificial beings, through I-194, Montana can remove state-granted power of corporations to spend money in support/opposition of candidates or ballot issues. Citizens United does not grant the right of corporations to make political expenditures; that power has always lied with the state, thus why the Montana Plan stands a chance in the legal landscape.

Yes, that was a lot of technical terms and albeit slightly boring, but to summarize, the

Montana Plan aims to shift power away from these multi-million (in some cases billion) dollar

corporations and back into the hands of Montanans.

Campaign financing may seem like an abstract idea that requires a Political Science or Economics degree to understand, but with this proposition, individuals will know how their candidates’ campaigns are being funded. 

Voting will no longer feel like an exam that you didn’t study for or a marathon that you didn’t train for; information will be openly available to the public and corporations will be held accountable for their attempts to influence your politics. 

Montana has the opportunity to spark a nation-wide change that would defend our democratic practices of free and fair elections. Because whether you believe it or not, your vote is the most powerful tool in your arsenal, and the thing corporations and candidates alike are fearful you will be brave enough to use. This election, the most important thing is not the candidates, not the party affiliation, it is proposition I-194. Your vote could lead to an America where money and wealth does not equate to political influence. 

This election, you have the opportunity to protect democracy from being bought and sold to the elites, plan accordingly. 

Suzanne Clawson, political science student.