Democracy Wire

In 2005, the Connecticut General Assembly, urged on by an intense grassroots advocacy effort, passed the first comprehensive public financing system for state elections in the nation. The kick off election cycle was 2008, and in that year and ever since, at least 74% of all candidates choose to participate in the system of public financing, called the Citizens’ Election Program. So, has public financing really made a difference? The answer is a resounding, YES! So why are state Democrats proposing to kill the program? That is completely unclear, but leadership has proposed cutting $11.7 million from the Citizens’ Election Fund, effectively wiping out Connecticut’s public financing program.

Democracy just won big at the ballot. Help us share the good news!

3 ballot initiatives could help change the way we vote for the better, coast-to-coast

With 2016 presidential candidates filing new third quarter campaign finance reports with the Federal Elections Commission, Common Cause completed an analysis of the percentage of small donors (those who give $200 or less) among the donors of the candidates.

In the post-Citizens United era, sometimes it seems that the only way to run a viable campaign for public office is to rely on donations from deep-pocketed donors and interest groups that inevitably will want favors in return for their financial support.

The success of small donors lifting Bernie Sanders and Ben Carson isn’t proof that SuperPACS aren’t a threat – but it is proof that we the people can change the laws and change the system and restore a sense of balance to our democracy by reminding politicians public service is about the public, not the private interests.