"Are we prepared to take on the enormous political power of the billionaire class or do we continue to slide into economic and political oligarchy?"
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"Democracy is one person, one vote and a full discussion of the issues that affect us. Oligarchy is billionaires buying elections, voter suppression and a concentrated corporate media determining what we see, hear and read."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"In the last presidential election Obama and Romney raised about $1 billion each. The Koch brothers, the second wealthiest family in America, now say they will raise nearly $1 billion for the 2016 elections. When one family can raise as much as an entire party, the system is broken. This is oligarchy, not democracy. We must overturn Citizens United."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"Now is the time to alter our government. Now is the time to stop the movement toward oligarchy. Now is the time to create a government which represents all Americans and not just the 1%... No more excuses. We must all become involved in the political process."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"The American people must make a fundamental decision. Do we continue the 40 year decline of the middle class, or do we fight for a progressive agenda that creates jobs, raises wages and takes on the economic and political power of the oligarchy?"
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"There is far too little discussion [in Washington] about the collapse of the middle class... Almost no discussion at all about the incredible income and wealth inequality in this country and the fact that we're moving towards an oligarchic form of society."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"This is what oligarchy looks like: Today, the top one-tenth of 1 percent owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 percent. The top one-hundredth of 1 percent makes more than 40 percent of all campaign contributions. The billionaire class owns the political system and reaps the benefits from it."
~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"We are moving very, very quickly from a democratic society, one person, one vote, to an oligarchic form of society, where billionaires would be determining who the elected officials of this country are. I'm going to do everything I can to stop that." ~ Sen. Bernie Sanders

"When you have one family, an extreme right-wing family, that spends more money than either of the two major political parties, my friends you are not looking at democracy, you are looking at oligarchy. " ~ Sen. Bernie Sanders