American Humanist Party — Economic Model Legal Framework

Every AHP policy mapped to the exact federal and state laws that must be amended, repealed, or newly enacted — with economic impact, cost per citizen, and national totals. All data sourced from official U.S. government publications.

For any policy to become real, specific laws must be changed. Each major AHP policy below is paired with the exact federal and state laws that must be amended, repealed, or newly enacted — along with its economic impact, cost per citizen, and national total.
Universal Healthcare
Pillar: Equity and Access Federal Laws to Amend or Enact Primary Legislation
  • →42 U.S.C. § 1395 (Medicare Act) — Amend to expand to universal coverage for all ages
  • →42 U.S.C. § 1396 (Medicaid Act) — Merge into universal federal healthcare fund
  • →ERISA (29 U.S.C. § 1001) — Repeal employer insurance mandate provisions
  • →Affordable Care Act (Pub. L. 111-148) — Replace with AHP Universal Healthcare Act
  • →26 U.S.C. § 5000A (Individual Mandate) — Repeal; universal coverage replaces mandate
State Laws to Amend or Adopt
  • →All 50 states: Sunset private health insurance licensing authority
  • →State insurance codes (e.g., CA Insurance Code §§ 10270-10277) — Phase out
Economic Impact Cost and Savings Analysis
Overview The U.S. spent $4.9 trillion on healthcare in 2023 (CMS). Eliminating private insurance administrative overhead (est. 34% per JAMA 2020) saves approximately $500B/year. Net federal cost of universal coverage is estimated at $1.2T/year — a $450B savings vs. current combined Medicare/Medicaid spending.
-$1,471/yr Savings Per Citizen
$1.2T/yr Net Federal Cost
-$450B vs. Current Spending
Federal Minimum Wage — $33/Hour
Pillar: Human Dignity and Autonomy Federal Laws to Amend or Enact Primary Legislation
  • →29 U.S.C. § 206 (FLSA — Minimum Wage) — Amend to set $33/hour federal floor
  • →29 U.S.C. § 207 (FLSA — Overtime) — Amend to set threshold at 32 hours/week
State Laws to Amend or Adopt
  • →All state minimum wage statutes: Preempted by federal floor; states may set higher rates
  • →State overtime laws: Align threshold to 32-hour work week standard
Economic Impact Cost and Savings Analysis
Overview Current federal minimum wage is $7.25/hour (unchanged since 2009). Raising to $33/hour directly benefits an estimated 32.5 million workers (EPI, 2024). Projections suggest 2-3 million people lifted from poverty and $200B+ in additional wage-tax revenue annually.
+$8,000/yr Per Min Wage Earner
32.5M Workers Benefited
$200B+ New Federal Revenue/yr
Citizens United Repeal — No PACs — Lobbying Ban
28th Constitutional Amendment Required Overturning Citizens United v. FEC (2010) requires a constitutional amendment — the most significant legal change in the AHP framework. This amendment would restore the authority of Congress to regulate corporate campaign expenditures.
Pillar: Civic Humanism Federal Laws to Amend or Enact Primary Legislation
  • →Citizens United v. FEC (2010) — Overturn via 28th Constitutional Amendment
  • →2 U.S.C. § 441b — Restore corporate campaign expenditure prohibitions
  • →Lobbying Disclosure Act (2 U.S.C. § 1601) — Repeal; replace with total prohibition
  • →Federal Election Campaign Act (52 U.S.C. § 30101) — Amend: $100 individual cap
State Laws to Amend or Adopt
  • →All 50 states: Revise state campaign finance statutes to align with $100 cap
  • →State lobbying disclosure statutes: Replace with prohibition statutes
Economic Impact Cost and Savings Analysis
Overview The U.S. spends $4.1B annually on lobbying (OpenSecrets, 2024). Eliminating corporate-funded lobbying removes an estimated $3-10T in regulatory capture costs over a decade. Campaign donation caps reduce election costs and redirect capital to the real economy.
$4.1B Lobbying Eliminated/yr
$3-10T Regulatory Savings (decade)
$12/yr Per Citizen (lobbying industry)
Free Public University Tuition
Pillar: Equity and Access Federal Laws to Amend or Enact Primary Legislation
  • →20 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq. (Higher Education Act) — Amend to mandate zero tuition at all public institutions
  • →20 U.S.C. § 1070 (Pell Grant Program) — Expand and integrate into zero-tuition framework
  • →26 U.S.C. § 25A (American Opportunity Tax Credit) — Merge with Lifetime Learning into unified $5,000 credit
State Laws to Amend or Adopt
  • →State university tuition-setting authority: Subject to federal zero-tuition mandate for citizens
  • →State higher education appropriations: Must maintain funding to receive federal subsidy
Economic Impact Cost and Savings Analysis
Overview Current public university tuition revenue is ~$78B/year (NCES, 2023). Federal cost to replace this is estimated at $78-120B/year. CBO analysis shows each percentage point increase in college attainment raises GDP by ~$200B. Projected net economic gain: $500B+ per decade.
$353/yr Federal Cost Per Citizen
$120B/yr Federal Investment
$500B+ GDP Gain Per Decade
Fare-Free Public Transit and Roads — No Tolls
Pillar: Planetary Stewardship Federal Laws to Amend or Enact Primary Legislation
  • →23 U.S.C. § 129 (Tolling Authorization) — Amend to prohibit new tolls; phase out existing
  • →49 U.S.C. § 5301 et seq. (Federal Transit Act) — Authorize fare-free operations funding
  • →Federal Aid Highway Act (23 U.S.C. § 101) — Prohibit user fees for public roads
State Laws to Amend or Adopt
  • →State toll authority statutes (e.g., NY Thruway Authority Act) — Transition to free access
  • →State transit fare ordinances: Preempted by federal fare-free mandate
Economic Impact Cost and Savings Analysis
Overview Current U.S. toll revenue is $19.6B/year (FHWA, 2023). Transit fares generate ~$15.8B/year (APTA, 2023). Federal replacement cost: $35-40B/year. Fare-free transit increases ridership 20-60% (UITP, 2022), reducing congestion costs ($87B/year per TRIP, 2023) and air pollution costs ($100B+/year per EPA).
$118/yr Federal Cost Per Citizen
$40B/yr Federal Replacement Cost
$187B+ Congestion and Pollution Saved
All-In Price Act — Ban on Hidden Fees
Pillar: Moral Responsibility Federal Laws to Amend or Enact Primary Legislation
  • →15 U.S.C. § 45 (FTC Act — Unfair Trade Practices) — Amend to prohibit all undisclosed fees
  • →15 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq. (Truth in Lending Act) — Expand to all consumer transactions
  • →15 U.S.C. § 41 (FTC Section 5) — Strengthen enforcement; mandatory treble damages for violations
State Laws to Amend or Adopt
  • →All state consumer protection statutes: Align with federal all-in pricing standard
  • →State real estate disclosure laws: Require all-in closing cost disclosure from day one
Economic Impact Cost and Savings Analysis
Overview Americans pay an estimated $29B in hotel junk fees, $11.5B in airline fees, $8B in ticket service fees, and $15B in bank fees annually (CFPB, 2023). Total junk fee burden: ~$90B/year. Elimination returns approximately $264/year per person directly to consumer spending power.
+$264/yr Returned Per Citizen
~$90B/yr Total Consumer Savings
Note on Constitutional Requirements: The repeal of Citizens United requires a constitutional amendment — the highest bar in the AHP legal framework. All other policies listed above can be enacted through standard federal legislation and state statutory reform, without a constitutional amendment.
Data Sources

CMS National Health Expenditures 2023 · EPI Minimum Wage Simulation Model 2024 · OpenSecrets Annual Lobbying Report 2024 · NCES IPEDS 2023 · FHWA Highway Statistics 2023 · APTA Public Transportation Fact Book 2023 · CFPB Junk Fees Report 2023 · CBO 10-Year Budget Baseline · JAMA 2020 Health Care Administrative Costs Study (Himmelstein et al., JAMA 2020;323(23):2295-2296) · UITP Fare-Free Transit Report 2022 · GAO-23-105460