Find out why we feel that public funding works. Read our Case Statement: Voluntary Public Funding of Federal Elections (PDF).

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Excerpt:

The Current System

Our country's system for selecting our leaders is seriously flawed. America's private money system of financing political campaigns distorts our nation's agenda, limits electoral competition, and undermines democratic values. It deprives our citizens of considering many of our finest leaders for high office. Money has emerged as the primary qualifier for achieving public office. Most Americans are increasingly locked out of meaningful participation in politics. The symptoms are severe:

• Wealthy special interests distort our national priorities through the purchase of governmental access and influence.
• Campaigns for federal office frequently lack meaningful competition, with only those candidates who possess or can raise large sums of money presenting a viable challenge. In each of the last four election cycles, more than 98% of incumbents who ran for reelection were successful, and one in six incumbents ran unopposed.
• America faces a crisis of political involvement, with participation of just half of eligible voters in the presidential selection process and only a third in mid-term elections. Meanwhile, more than 70% of citizens polled believe a few big interests control government, without regard for the public good.

For proposed solutions to this crisis, download the full PDF.