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Choice 1
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Choice 2
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Choice 3
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Reform the Campaign Fund-Raising System
Money is corrupting
politics. The democratic principle of "one person, one vote"
has become "one donor, much influence." Campaign finance
reforms are needed to restore political equality.
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Rein In Lobbyists
and Politicians
Campaign finance reform
would just divert more special-interest money to lobbying,
where the real problem is in politics. New curbs are needed
on lobbyists and politicians to keep them honest
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Publicize Political Donations, Don't
Regulate Them
Regulatory efforts
to control money in politics have backfired, harming democracy far more
than any isolated scandal ever did. We need to restore a freer system
that worked well for two centuries.
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What Can Be Done?
- Step up efforts to reform campiagn finance laws, which set
the rules for playing politics honestly.
- Tighten rules on contributions. Consider permitting only
individual citizens to make political contributions,
limited to small sums.
- Consider replacing private contributions with a
taxpayer-financed system of publicly funded election campaigns.
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What Can Be Done?
- Ban lobbyists gifts, in all their disguises, including
providing free services such as organizing political
fund-raisers.
- Hold politicians accountable by expanding the use of recall
votes and ballot measures, which would let voters enact state
and federal laws.
- Require lobbyists and politicians to hold their meetings in
public as a way to deter corruption and promote fairness.
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What Can Be Done?
- Repeal all laws that clog and choke the democratic process
with restrictions on political contributions.
- Encourage more investment in campaigns to make elections more
competetive.
- Deter corruption by strictly enforcing a requirement that all
political donations be disclosed immediately.
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In This View
- It's time to close all loopholes in campaign finance laws,
including ones that allow donors to write $500,000 checks to
political parties.
- Publicly funding elections could save taxpayers money in the
long run by reducing public spending for such things as special
tax breaks for corporations.
- With tight curbs on gifts, elected officials would be freed
from real and apparent conflicts of interest and be better able
to focus on the public interest.
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In This View
- Lobbyists for special interests should not be allowed to deluge
public officials with gifts, and politicians should not be
allowed to accept them.
- Campaign finance reforms are of little value because they will
simply shift more special interest spending to lobbying.
- Ballot initiatives permit citizens to make laws when lawmakers
are either unwilling or unable to follow the public will.
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In This View
- Expensive campaigns make headlines, but overall, campaign
spending is an inadequate investment, amounting to an estimated
$10 per eligible voter every two years for all elections in the
nation.
- Fund-raising rules promote political gridlock; challengers
can't raise enough money to run competitive races.
- It takes money to compete in elections, but money can't buy
them. The way to deter corruption is to require prompt disclosure
of all political gifts.
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In Contrary Views
- Prior regulatory reforms have failed, and this choice would
gum up the system with more restrictions on everyone's political
freedom.
- The campaign fund-raising competition serves a useful purpose;
it gives voters a good sense of each candidate's leadership
skills.
- This choice maligns "special interests," but there
is nothing wrong with like-minded retailers, teachers, or fire
fighters joining groups that promote their interests.
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In Contrary Views
- This choice attacks lobbyists, but democracy couldn't run
effectively without these professionals who speak on behalf
of all segments of society.
- In attacking lobbyists, this choice is really just an attack
against lobbyists who represent opposing views.
- Ballot measures don't give citizens any more power, as
special interests often bankroll these campaigns to get what
they want.
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In Contrary Views
- Letting the rich write even bigger checks to politicians
is no way to restore public confidence in a system bloated
with special interest money.
- When politicians become big-time fund-raisers, special
interests gain greater influence.
- Is better public disclosure really all that's needed to
deter corruption? Then why is it that politicians now openly
accept gifts from special interests with matters pending before
government?
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A Likely Tradeoff?
- Public funding for election campaigns would require taxpayers
to foot the bill for campaigns of candidates they favor and
those they oppose, including fringe candidates and others who
would exploit the system.
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A Likely Tradeoff?
- Sharp restrictions on lobbying would be difficult to
enforce, and greater use of ballot measures would put complex
issues to up or down votes at the polls.
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A Likely Tradeoff?
- Permitting unlimited political donations would stimulate
existing fund-raising competitions, giving the edge to
candidates with the most wealthy connections.
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