The Facts


Speth

“Is it any surprise that Congress has been unable to shape a sound national energy policy based on scientific evidence and the needs of all our people, not just the moneyed interests?”

 - Gus Speth
Co-Founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council
ACR Advisory Board Member

Fair Elections: Commonsense Reform

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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.

Benefits of Fair Elections

  1. Open, Competitive Campaigns
    Good government, like any other enterprise, requires robust competition for public office. Fair Elections encourages and enables the most highly qualified candidates to run, ensuring that voters have a meaningful choice in leadership and that big money is not a precondition to seeking public office.
  2. Strengthens Public Accountability
    Under Fair Elections, candidates are accountable to the voters and their conscience alone. Rather than spending countless hours raising money for reelection, politicians are to free attend to the people’s business for which they were elected.

  3. Cherishes Political Speech
    Under Fair Elections, qualified candidates have the funding they need to make their voices heard. Consistent with the First Amendment, Fair Elections respects the right of independent groups to enter the political debate, while extending speech opportunities to more and diverse voices across the political spectrum.

  4. Raises Citizen Participation
    Democracy is strengthened when citizens actively engage in the political process. Rather than rely on a tiny fraction of wealthy Americans to fund politics, Fair Elections encourages citizen-driven campaigns and rewards broad-based support by leveraging small donations with matching public funds.

  5. Reduces Wasteful Spending
    Responsible stewardship of the nation’s taxes requires that politicians are not beholden to special interests. In countless documented cases, large donations have produced billions in inefficient spending and regulation, contrary to a competitive free market. By replacing big money with small donor public funding, Fair Elections gives leaders the independence they need to evaluate policy on merit and public interest alone.

Track Record of Success

Experience with state Fair Elections has shown that candidates willingly forego the big-money system when presented with the alternative of raising small donations matched with public funds. In Maine, Arizona, Connecticut, North Carolina, and New Mexico, comprehensive Fair Election programs have significantly increased electoral competition and encouraged unprecedented participation by citizen small donors. Over 75% of elected officials voluntarily participate in state Fair Elections systems. Additionally, more than half of states currently offer some form of public campaign finance.