You have the right to shape law. We give you the tools to use it.
This forum is the public square of The American Fifth Estate — a national platform where members work together to write, tailor, and pass real laws through citizen-led ballot measures.
If you’re here, you don’t need permission. You need a plan.
This space is where that starts.
What We Do Here
We’re not a think tank or an advocacy group.
We’re a member-led, rule-based system for turning ideas into law — one proposal, one state, one vote at a time.
If you live in one of the 26 initiative-enabled states, you have the legal power to put laws on the ballot yourself. We make that process transparent, strategic, and collaborative.
What You Can Do in the Forum
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Ask legal, process, or proposal questions
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Share new ideas for laws in your state
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Review and comment on active proposals
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Learn how the ballot initiative process works
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Join working groups to help shape a draft or campaign
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Give respectful, sourced feedback
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Vote on which ideas become Model Proposals
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Track real-time progress as proposals move to the ballot
How It Works
All proposals move through the same three-phase system:
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Proposal Drafting – We co-write and structure the idea
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State Tailoring – We localize it to match real laws
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Ballot Campaign – We fund, file, and qualify it for a real election
â €Each phase is public, trackable, and open to member input.
What We Ask of You
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Keep feedback lawful, constructive, and relevant
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Don’t promote political parties, candidates, or outside campaigns
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Use open sources and state-level facts when possible
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Respect that this is a legal platform, not a social one
⠀You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to participate in good faith.
Start Here
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Read the Rules & Guidelines -
Introduce yourself and your state -
Post a proposal idea or question -
See proposals moving toward the ballot