Campaign Finance Reform & Small Donor Public Financing

The campaign finance system is dominated today by billionaires, millionaires, lobbyists, bundlers, Super PACs, dark money nonprofits and special interest PACs. Most officeholders are dependent on and obligated to these influence-seeking funders. Political money corruption in Washington cannot and will not be curbed until we provide officeholders with an alternative way to finance their campaigns.

Democracy 21 developed and is fighting to enact a new, alternative way to finance presidential and congressional campaigns, based on matching small contributions with public funds.

The system would match small individual contributions up to $200 with public funds at a ratio of 6 to 1. Thus, a $200 individual contribution would provide $1,400 to a candidate using the system.
The new system would empower ordinary Americans and make their contributions far more valuable to federal candidates. The system would free officeholders from the iron-grip of influence-seeking, big money funders.
The new system is financed not by taxpayers but entirely by corporate lawbreakers and wealthy tax cheats who pay a surcharge to the government on the penalties, fees and settlements they provide o the government for breaking the law.
There is a growing, nationwide citizen demand for elections free of the taint of influence-buying, special interest money. More and more states and municipalities — from Seattle to New York City to Maryland to Connecticut to Maine — have adopted successful small-donor campaign finance systems.
The small-donor, public matching funds system (H.R 1) passed the House in 2019 and again in 2021.

Small Donor Revolutionaries

Hear the stories of women from across the country who have used small donor financing systems to run for office and win.

Hear their stories

Democracy 21 Calls on Justice Department to Investigate Whether Super PACs Supporting Obama and Romney are Engaged in Massive Campaign Finance Violations

February 15, 2012|Archive |Enforcement Money In Politicsby Diane

Campaign Finance Reform & Small Donor Public Financing

Small Donor Revolutionaries

Fred Wertheimer “The Consequences of Today’s Disastrous Decision by the Supreme Court Majority in the McCutcheon Case”

Fred Wertheimer Statement on McCutcheon vs FEC

Fred Wertheimer on MSNBC: “Did Citizens United Corrupt Elections?”

Fred Wertheimer: Citizens United and the 2012 Election: A Disaster for Democracy

Democracy 21/Brennan Center Report: “Empowering Small Donors in Federal Elections”

Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on Supreme Court’s Decision to Leave Citizens United Standing

Politico op-ed by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer- “Citizens United: Watergate redux”

Democracy 21 Calls on Justice Department to Investigate Whether Super PACs Supporting Obama and Romney are Engaged in Massive Campaign Finance Violations

Legislation to Respond to the Citizens United Decision: Myths & Realities Part 4

Legislation to Respond to the Citizens United Decision: Myths & Realities Part 3

Legislation to Respond to the Citizens United Decision: Myths & Realities Part 2

Statement of Democracy 21 President on Legislation Introduced to Respond to Citizens United Decision

Summary of Legislation Introduced in Response to Citizens United Decision

Legislation to Respond to the Citizens United Decision: Myths & Realities Part 1

The Washington Post: Lobbying expenditures drop for many firms in first quarter