Public Financing
Public funding of political campaigns: no proposed reform would work better to reduce the power of big money in American elections and restore confidence in American democracy.Public financing limits the influence of big money campaign donations and so encourages candidates with limited resources to run for office. Plus, it frees politicians from the burden and distraction involved in constant fundraising.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law works with policy makers and activists interested in decreasing the power of big money and concomitant increase in the impact each individual citizen has at the polls. Working on the federal, state and local levels, we help draft and enact legislation, provide legal analysis, and assist in the defense of campaign finance laws when they are challenged in court.
Recently Brennan Center staff helped Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Specter (R-PA) draft the "Fair Elections Now Act," a bill that would create a public financing system for congressional elections. The Center co-authored and released "Breaking Free with Fair Elections," which explains how congressional public financing would make our federal government more honest, transparent, and accountable.
Our work on the state level involves efforts to help draft public financing legislation tailored to local interests and needs. When systems we supported were passed into law and came under attack, our lawyers helped defend them in court. We successfully beat back a challenge to the public financing systems in Maine, and we are defending our victories in Arizona and North Carolina as they are attacked on appeal. We are currently working to defend Connecticut's system of public financing, which is scheduled to go into effect in time for the 2008 legislative elections but is currently under attack in federal court.
North Carolina Right to Life Committee Fund for Independent Political Expenditures v. Leake
The Brennan Center is intervening to help defend the nation’s first voluntary full public financing program for judicial elections.
This case is the sixth challenge to Arizona’s optional system of full public financing for people seeking state office.
Green Party of Connecticut v. Jeffrey Garfield, et al.
In 2005, the Connecticut General Assembly became the first state legislature in the nation to pass a full public financing law that applies to its own campaigns. The Brennan Center is helping to defend this system and Connecticut’s ban on campaign contributions from lobbyists and state contractors.
Given the recent slew of politicians being caught and investigated for accepting inappropriate donations and favors from special-interests, it is no surprise that the presidential candidates’ fundraising strategies are getting a closer look....
The Public Financing Landscape
The Fourth Circuit recently delivered some good news for public financing advocates…
Protecting the Rights of Millionaires
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Tuesday in a campaign finance case, Davis v. FEC. This Court has had a rather ominous track record on campaign finance reform....
Illustrations by Risko
Study: Recent Attacks on NJ’s Clean Elections Program are Unfounded & False
Brennan Center releases exhaustive analysis debunking a survey by the Center for Competitive Politics (CCP), an organization ideologically opposed to campaign finance reform, which claimed that New Jersey’s Clean Elections public funding program is unsuccessful.
Federal Appeals Court Upholds North Carolina’s Judicial Public Funding Law
Fourth Circuit Panel Affirms Dismissal: State citizens concerned about fair and impartial courts celebrated a major victory today in their defense of the state’s landmark public funding program for appellate court candidates.
“Public Funding: The Good The Bad And The Ugly”
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano speaks about money in politics at Brennan Center’s first annual Living Constitution lecture.
On Clean Elections in New Jersey
Presented to the State Government Committee of the New Jersey Assembly. Highlights two important areas of the clean elections pilot program the Assembly should consider amending: Section 8 and Section 11.
Testimony to South Carolina State Senate
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy provided a constitutional perspective on the Senate’s full public financing proposal.
S. 1285 - Fair Elections Now Act
This bill introduced by Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) would create a system of full public financing for federal Senate campaigns.
On August 5, 2008, the Center for Competitive Politics (CCP) issued a 4-page attack on New Jersey’s Clean Elections system. This analysis by the Brennan Center shows that CCP’s conclusions are unscientific and unsupported.
Fixing Congress: Oil Companies Out, Voters In
In light of Sen. Ted Stevens, piece notes Congress should act quickly next spring to pass the Fair Elections Now Act.
New York Really Needs Public Campaign Financing
In April, Gov. David Paterson shook off pressure to create a system of public financing of campaigns, claiming that there’s just no money in the budget for it. Two recent examples of questionable fiscal management might shed light on why....