American Promise (organization)

American Promise is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that, since its founding in 2016, has advocated for ratifying an amendment to the United States Constitution that would allow the states and U.S. Congress to decide whether and how to regulate campaign spending in elections.^[1][2]

American Promise

Formation	2016
Founder	Jeff Clements
Legal status	501(c)3 and 501(c)4
Headquarters	Concord, Massachusetts
Staff	United States
Website	American Promise

The For Our Freedom Amendment

The For Our Freedom Amendment^[3] was drafted following extensive public and legal consultations. If ratified, it would not impose any specific reforms; rather, it would constitutionally empower state and federal lawmakers to enact reasonable regulations around campaign fundraising and spending. Opinion polling from 2024^[4] suggests that nearly four-in-five Americans would support such an amendment, and favorability is consistent across all major political affiliations.

Amendment text

Section 1. We the People have compelling sovereign interests in the freedom of speech, representative self-government, federalism, the integrity of the electoral process, and the political equality of natural persons.

Section 2. Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to forbid Congress or the States, within their respective jurisdictions, from reasonably regulating and limiting contributions and spending in campaigns, elections, or ballot measures.

Section 3. Congress and the States shall have the power to implement and enforce this article by appropriate legislation and may distinguish between natural persons and artificial entities, including by prohibiting artificial entities from raising and spending money in campaigns, elections, or ballot measures.

Progress to date

American Promise maintains an active presence on Capitol Hill but devotes most of its resources to state-level campaigns, working with state advocates and legislators to pass resolutions in support of the Amendment.

In 2025, legislators in 11 states are considering resolutions in support of the amendment.

Twenty-three states have called on Congress to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that returns the power to regulate election spending to the states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.^[5] In March 2025, Utah became the latest state to pass a resolution in support of an amendment.^[6]

American Promise Candidate Pledge

The American Promise Candidate Pledge asks local, state and federal candidates and elected officials to pledge to use their office to advance the 28th Amendment to secure fair and free elections by limiting the amount of money spent to influence elections.^[7] As of November 2024, more than 600 candidates had signed the pledge.^[8]

National Citizen Leadership Conference

Jeff Clements (left), President of American Promise, presenting Congressman Walter Jones with a Congressional Leadership Award

Since 2016, American Promise has hosted the National Citizen Leadership Conference, which draws hundreds of citizen advocates from across the country to Washington, D.C., for discussion, training, and a citizen lobbying day on Capitol Hill. ^[9][10] Prominent speakers have included Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, historian and political commentator Doris Kearns Goodwin, U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, actor Evangeline Lilly, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, businessman and politician Andrew Yang, and U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips.

Key personnel and advisors

Jeff Clements^[11] serves as founder and chief executive officer, and Anastasia Khoo^[12] is the organization's president. John Wass, a corporate executive and entrepreneur, has served as chairman of the board of directors since 2016.