A year and a half after the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, many Americans are upset about the increased corporate power in elections, but are often at a loss about what to do about it. People For will be hosting a panel at Netroots Nation this weekend exploring ways progressives can harness the energy of those who are fed up with unchecked corporate power:

After Citizens United: Combating Corporate Power in Elections
Thursday, June 16th 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
Panel, L100 I

The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs. FEC handed corporate interests enormous unchecked power in the democratic process. Last November, in the first election since the decision, we saw its real results: outside groups, many of whom kept their donors secret, poured unprecedented amounts of money into campaigns to elect pro-corporate members of Congress. Now, as the GOP House majority attempts to pass radical deregulation and slash social services, corporate interests are seeing a powerful return on their investments. This panel will explore ways that progressives can harness the widespread anger about Citizens United to create strong state- and local-level movements, find solutions at the federal level and prevent corporations from buying the 2012 elections.

The panelists include former Mother Jones publisher Jay Harris, journalist Laura Flanders, United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard, The Nation correspondent John Nichols and Huffington Post reporter Amanda Terkel.

For background on the post-Citizens United elections economy, take a look at our report, Citizens Blindsided: Secret Corporate Money in the 2010 Elections and America’s New Shadow Democracy.

And if you’re in Minneapolis for the conference, stop by our booth in the exhibit hall to say hello and pick up some PFAW swag.