U.S. News & World Report: Small Donors Silenced by Big Money in Politics
U.S. News & World Report: Small Donors Silenced by Big Money in Politics
JUST 100 LARGE DONORS contributed more to statewide races in New York during last year’s election cycle than the 137,000 small donors who contributed $175 or less, according to a new analysis that argues for public funding as a way to expand the depth and diversity of the political donor pool. …
In nearby Connecticut, state candidates that meet a minimum threshold of dollars raised from small contributors – no more than $100 or $250, depending on the seat – can qualify for a lump sum, subject to certain restrictions.
“It gives an opportunity for folks who are not themselves independently wealthy,” says Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, which advocates for public financing. The funds also free up policymakers from some of the constant fundraising that often goes hand in hand with holding office, she adds. “They don’t have to go around with their hands out saying, ‘Please give me money.'”