Vanguard Lobbying Collective
For decades, corporations have manipulated political outcomes using paid lobbyists who fight for special interests. Unfortunately, lobbying isn’t going anywhere. But we are turning it on its head.
Our lobbyist works for you.
How we got here.
We learned in school that people elect their officials, those officials make decisions that reflect our best interests, and then we do it all over again when the next election cycle comes along. In theory, this is how a democracy works, but in practice we’ve seen a very different reality. From corporations getting to cherry pick politicians and bureaucrats, to a president that gives the seats of honor at his inauguration to the highest bidders, money has become the currency of politics — not votes.
Our current model can be better summarized as follows: Corporations supply politicians with the money to actually run for office. Industry groups write legislation through legislative councils to put in the hands of politicians. Lobbyists, paid by corporations, shepherd each bill across the finish line making sure they ultimately benefit the corporations, giving voters and communities just enough to feel seen by the process. Voters are an afterthought more often than not, because the people with money are involved from the first stump speech to the final gavel of session.
The Vanguard Collective knows that the time to fix this is now, and that the only way we’ll get through this moment is together. That’s why we’re working to create a lobbying system that prioritizes people over corporations, and puts people power to work for the actual people, not just the next election cycle.
Why we need you.
Corporations may have the money, but we have the votes. There are a lot of electoral fixes we wish for at a structural level, and we can and will keep working toward them. But the one thing we’ve all got* right now, for free, is the right to vote.
We want to say something super empowering here like, “corporations can’t buy votes!” But actually, because of the way that electoral politics works, that’s often not true. Money = access to people’s attention, whether that’s through media ads, paid canvassers, or expensive political mail campaigns. What’s more, well-funded campaigns spend a lot of money understanding voter psychology in order to effectively manipulate it (propaganda anyone!?).
That’s why we need you to join our movement to confront the money machine with real people who are empowered to think critically about who we elect to public office in this country (or at least Colorado, to start). Billionaires may have all the money, but we have the power of collective action - but only if you join us!
*Well, actually… There are a lot of people in this country who cannot vote, including approximately 4 million people disenfranchised due to criminal convictions.
We created a membership pool that consists of voters in the jurisdictions where we lobby to remind elected officials that they answer to the people who vote for them, not outside interests. Through our own membership democratic process, we set legislative priorities, solicit and incorporate feedback on model legislation, and lobby for passage of public interest legislation in your name. Through regular updates from our legislative team, you’ll know whether your legislators are truly working for you, and how to hold them accountable at the ballot box when they’re not.
