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 has 47 sponsors (S. 949) in the Senate.
Reform Groups and Watchdogs Urge Congress to Oppose Poison Pill Campaign Finance Riders in FY18 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
|Press Releases |Congress Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 applauds DC Circuit Court of Appeals decision to uphold constitutionality of campaign contribution limits
|Op Eds |Legal Activities Money In Politicsby DianeA 10-Point Plan to Drain the Swamp (RealClearPolicy op ed by Fred Wertheimer and Norman Eisen)
|Op Eds |Democracy Reforms Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 files FEC rulemaking comments on foreign spending to influence federal elections and online ad disclosure
|Press Releases |Ethics & Accountability FEC Money In Politicsby DianeU.S. Politics Are Rigged. It’s Time For a Small-Donor Revolution — Fred Wertheimer Op Ed for NBC Think
|Op Eds |Money In Politicsby DianeGroups call on Facebook and Google to support Honest Ads Act and take all steps necessary to prevent future foreign election intervention on their platforms
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeTwenty-seven reform organizations and experts urge Senators to support bipartisan Honest Ads Act
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeWertheimer op-ed: Citizens United Has Been a Disaster for the Country: A Response to Sen. McConnell Attorney Floyd Abrams
|Op Eds |Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 endorses Honest Ads Act introduced today by Sens. Klobuchar, Warner, McCain to expose and limit foreign intervention in US Elections
|Press Releases |Congress Ethics & Accountability Money In Politicsby DianeWertheimer Statement: VP Pence’s Chief of Staff Proposes Big Donors Engage in Equivalent of “Political Blackmail”
|Press Releases |Ethics & Accountability Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeCampaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 applaud FEC action fining government contractor for PAC contributions
|Press Releases |FEC Money In Politicsby DianeDemocracy 21 President Strongly Endorses “We the People Democracy Reform Act of 2017” introduced today
|Press Releases |Congress Democracy Reforms Money In Politicsby DianeReform Groups Urge House Members to Oppose Campaign Finance Riders in House Financial Services Appropriations Bill
|Press Releases |Congress Money In Politicsby DianeWertheimer Op-Ed In Just Security: President Trump’s Unsurprising Endorsement of Illegal Solicitation – His Campaign Repeatedly Violated Ban On Soliciting Foreign Donations
|Op Eds |Ethics & Accountability Executive Branch Money In Politicsby DianeTrump Jr., Kushner, Manafort Violated Foreign Solicitation Ban, Watchdogs Allege In Complaints
|Press Releases |Enforcement Ethics & Accountability Executive Branch Legal Activities Money In Politicsby Diane