Following the April 2 election in Wisconsin, the Capital Times editorial board urges the state’s elected officials to consider passing public financing to resolve the state’s big donor problem. The…
Months after the city of Baltimore passed public financing via referendum, the Baltimore County Council voted 5-2 on a charter amendment to create a public financing system for county elections. …
The House passed H.R. 1, an historic omnibus package of election, ethics, and campaign finance reforms. One of the key pillars of the legislation was small donor public financing for…
Small donors are playing an increasingly significant role in national politics, according to a report by Americans for Financial Reform and the Center for Economic and Policy Research. According to Lisa…
A survey by the University of New Mexico found that “[s]even in 10 [respondents] said elected officials are more responsive to donors than voters.” That number reflects an increase from…
Michael Waldman, President of the Brennan Center for Justice, authored an op-ed in response to the questions on ethics reform asked by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during the House Oversight Committee’s…
Reflecting on the first bill proposed by the new House majority, H.R. 1, Jelani Cobb writes that the legislation’s proposed small-donor match public financing system “would serve as a counterbalance…
While small donations used to signify “grass-roots support and an indication of potential voter enthusiasm,” they now are seen as a critical sign of viability for candidates. As one fundraiser…
2019 marks the second election cycle in which Seattle will use its “democracy voucher” system. With all seven district seats contested in the City Council elections later this year, Seattle…
During the House Oversight Committee hearing on H.R. 1, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s questions to ethics and reform experts highlighted the significant problems in the country’s campaign finance system.…