Money Talks: The State of Public Financing in California

America’s current political environment has seen an influx of unchecked, unregulated money.

The need for restructuring our campaign finance system has never been so dire. One short-term reform with particular promise is the use of public funds to subsidize viable political campaigns – public financing. Although the Roberts Court has ruled certain provisions of public financing programs unconstitutional, the basic tenet of public financing remains valid in the eyes of the court, and thus can and has been implemented across the country at all levels of government.

Our report, “Money Talks: the State of Public Financing in California,” outlines several frameworks for public financing solutions, gives an overview of the state of public financing in California, and provides additional resources for model public financing bills.