Donations to campaigns, PACs and Super PACs are legalized bribery that keep the rich and powerful in control. This stuff is poison for democracy. Any serious talk of protecting democracy has to include paradigm-shifting campaign finance reform.

My dream would be a constitutional amendment that allowed enough donations to enable a challenger to take on an incumbent by banning corporations and other entities donating, banning indirect support by PACs etc, capped individuals at $500 adjusted for inflation, + public funding

I’m not sure if $500 is too much. But you want to seek a balance between leveling the playing field and giving a challenger a chance to raise enough to beat an incumbent (who has name recognition). Public funding could help. Equal airtime on news TV could help.

Removing barriers to new political parties could help. I used to think the 2-party system kept whackos in check. But Trump has proven that this system can propel whackos to the White House.

And absolute full transparency on all donations no matter how small or how large.

And term limits. One term for a Senator. Three terms for a representative.