The Facts

“You say you want to serve your country by running as a candidate for Congress today? Show me the money. Otherwise, you will be shown the door.”
- Bob Kerrey
Former Senator from Nebraska
ACR Chair

The Facts

Legislation

Federal public funding legislation enjoys bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, with over 120 cosponsors. The bills would create a modern system of public funding of Presidential and Congressional elections based on small donations from citizens:

Fair Elections Now Act — S.752 and H.R.1826:

To provide a voluntary public funding system for Senate and House elections
Presidential Funding Act (will be introduced shortly):

To update the system of public financing for Presidential elections

Research

Fair Elections Now Act Fact Sheet

Fair Elections Provisions

Candidate Qualifying and Seed Money
Candidates seeking to participate in Fair Elections collect a set number of qualifying contributions of $5-$100 each from their constituents plus a baseline of $50,000 or more in total contributions. Contributions provide seed money to jump-start the candidate’s campaign and are limited to residents of the candidate’s home state.

Fair Elections: Commonsense Reform

Fair Elections is a new and innovative approach to the problem of special interest money in American elections. It combines what works in our current campaign finance system – citizen small donations – with matching public funds to ensure competitive campaigns. And it rejects what doesn’t work: big money from lobbyists and special interest groups seeking access and influence in government. In five states from Arizona to Maine, Fair Elections is ushering in a new, more accountable politics.

Fair Elections: State Track Record of Success

For nearly a decade, five states have been pioneering a sweeping new alternative to traditional big money campaigns: Fair or Clean Elections public funding of legislative, executive, and judicial campaigns. In Maine (since 2000), Arizona (2000), and Connecticut (2006), candidates for any state office may qualify with small donations to receive sufficient public funding to mount a competitive campaign; in return, candidates limit spending and say no to special interest contributions.

Does Money Buy Elections?

The Americans for Campaign Reform report, “Does Money Buy Elections?” (January 2008), analyzes the relationship between campaign spending and election outcomes for incumbent, challenger, and open seat candidates for U.S. House from 1992-2006. It finds a competitive spending threshold below which previously unknown candidates are unable to effectively compete and beyond which additional spending produces diminishing marginal returns.

Publicly Financed Elections in the States

Healthcare Industry Money in Politics

The healthcare industry — including HMOs, health professionals, hospitals and nursing homes, and pharmaceuticals — contributed $825 million to candidates for federal office from 1990-2008. The healthcare industry spent $3.4 billion to lobby the federal government on health policy matters from 1998-2008, including $480 million in 2008 alone.

Money in Politics & Prescription Drugs

Individuals, lobbyists, and political action committees in the pharmaceutical industry contributed $167 million to federal candidates from 1990 to 2008. Members of the House and Senate received an average of $25,277 and $81,891, respectively, in pharmaceutical industry contributions in 2008.

Money in Politics & Government Waste

Defense industry earmark recipients contributed disproportionately to Members of the House and Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, the primary defense appropriators, regardless of party. Defense industry earmark recipients contributed disproportionately to Members of the House and Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, the primary defense appropriators, regardless of party

Wall Street Money in Politics

Individuals and PACs in finance, insurance, and real estate have contributed over $2 billion to federal campaigns since 1990, the largest sector by a factor of two. Wall Street contributions increased five-fold from $60 million in 1990 to $311 million in 2008. Members of the U.S. House and Senate received an average $142,663 and $1,042,663, respectively, in Wall Street contributions as of July 28, 2008.

Money in Politics and the Environment

The energy industry, including oil and gas, electric utilities, mining, and waste management, contributed $455 million to federal candidates between 1990-2006. The energy industry spent $2.3 billion to lobby the federal government between 1998-2008.

Money in Politics: Who Gives

Less than 0.5 percent of the U.S. population contributed $200 or more to federal candidates in 2008, or 82 percent of total itemized contributions. Less than 0.1 percent of Americans contributed $2,300 or more in 2008, or 60 percent of the total.

Money in Politics: Who Gets

Incumbent candidates for the House raised an average of $1.4 million in 2008, more than four times the amount raised by challengers and more than twice the amount raised by open seat candidates. Incumbent candidates for the Senate raised an average of $8.7 million, almost six times more than challengers and nearly four times more than open seat candidates.

Two-thirds of Arizonans oppose repeal of Clean Elections

A poll by Arizona Advocacy Network and Public Campaign of 500 likely 2012 Arizona voters shows strong support for the Citizens Clean Elections Act—with a majority supporting the current law with no description and almost three out of four supporting with a basic description. Additionally, Arizona voters are strongly opposed to efforts to repeal—with almost two thirds of voters opposing a repeal and a majority saying they would be less likely to vote for a state legislative candidate who supported a repeal.