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Demos works to address the effect of political money on U.S. elections, based on our belief that wealth should not determine who has access to political participation and representation. In the current campaign finance system, the need to raise money has an enormous impact on who runs and who wins our elections. Because the size of candidates' bank accounts frequently determines who wins, candidates too often must pitch their messages to appeal to wealthy interests, and must spend a disproportionate amount of their time raising that money. The losers are the majority of voters who cannot provide significant funding to political candidates, candidates who would otherwise represent these voters, and the public as a whole that is deprived of meaningful discussion of ideas by voices that fully represent our democracy.
Unfortunately, the most direct solution - mandatory limits on how much candidates can spend in their races - has been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This means that reformers must look to other means of reducing the impact of money on elections.
One of the most promising reforms is public financing of elections. Demos supports public financing of elections, and provides legal and constitutional analysis to support the growing movement to enact city, state and federal public financing measures. Demos also supports other meaningful regulations on campaign financing, including restrictions on the size of contributions that may be given by any one person, PAC or political party in a race, limits on corporate involvement in campaign financing, and other reforms, and works with legislators and reformers to design, pass and defend such laws.
In 2006, Demos signed a formal partnership agreement with the National Voting Rights Institute, a long-time leader in the field of campaign finance reform. The NVRI website - which is no longer updated - has many pleadings and court decisions discussing campaign finance reform.
Demos Resources
- Testimony of Brenda Wright on Restoring Contribution Limits
- February 22, 2008
- Amicus Brief in Committee on Jobs Candidate Advocacy Fund v. Herrera - supporting constitutionality of San Francisco's law limiting to $500 any contributions to independent political committees
- August 27, 2007
- Amicus Brief in Duke v. Leake - supporting constitutionality of public financing for North Carolina judicial elections, filed with nine other organizations before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- August 14, 2007
- Las elecciones de la ciudad no se venden (The City Elections Are Not for
Sale) - Democracy Program Legal Director Brenda Wright's Op-Ed in El Diario
- English Translation
- June 13, 2007
- Demos testimony before Vermont Senate Government Operations Committee - supporting contribution limits and public funding legislation
- March 14, 2007
- NVRI Analysis of Supreme Court Decision in Randall v. Sorrell, which struck Vermont's campaign contribution and spending limits
- June 29, 2006
- Contribution Limits: No Harm to Challengers - an NVRI/PIRG report that shows that contribution limits, if anything, reduce an incumbent's traditional advantage
- June 2006
- Public Opinion on Election Campaign Spending survey from January 2006 showing public support for a variety of campaign finance reforms >view release
- December 9, 2005
- The Donor Class: Campaign Finance, Democracy, and Participation - an article by Demos board member Spencer Overton in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review about wealth disparity and campaign contributions
- August 4, 2004
- National Voting Rights Institute - Though its work is now being carried out by Demos, the NVRI hosts a now static website with important information on campaign finance reform
Advocates for campaign finance reform
Data about campaign contributions and spending
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