The Problem:
(Jump to solutions)California's political system is increasingly dominated by wealthy donors and special interests, leaving regular people feeling like their voices are drowned out. When big money floods our elections, it creates an uneven playing field where everyday citizens and grassroots candidates struggle to be heard. The result? Those with the deepest pockets end up calling the shots, while the rest of us struggle to have our voices heard.
Let's join together to level the playing field, and make it possible for ordinary citizens to support candidates who genuinely represent their communities and values. With the right approaches, we can create a fairer, more inclusive democracy where everyone, not just the wealthy few, has a voice.
Paths Forward:
Democracy vouchers
Give vouchers to residents to contribute to campaigns they want to support.
Like political gift cards, residents can "donate" their democracy vouchers to candidates. Those campaigns can then redeem their vouchers for money to fund campaign-related expenses. Democracy vouchers amplify the voice of individual citizens by giving them a direct way to financially support candidates or campaigns.
Used In: Seattle, WA
Impact in Seattle:
- 53% increase in total contributions, largely in small donations
- 350% increase in number unique donors, largely in small donations
- 86% increase in number of candidates
- Substantial increase in challenger competitiveness
Source: Evidence from Seattle's Democracy Voucher program, 2022
Campaign matching funds
Match small donations to encourage grassroots outreach and support.
Small donations are matched or even multiplied by the government. To take advantage of this program, candidates can be made to agree to certain conditions, such as spending limits, mandatory public debates, and increased disclosure requirements. Just like that, we can boost the influence of small donors and encourage campaign transparency at the same time!
Used In: New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA
Impact in New York City:
- Participating candidates receive a 6:1 match - e.g., a $50 donation generates $350 total
- 40% increase in number of small donors
- Participating candidates raised 30% more of their funds from in-district donors than other candidates
Source: Brennan Center for Justice, "Small Donor Matching funds: The NYC Election Experience"
Regulate independent expenditures
Enforce stricter rules on unlimited independent expenditures.
An independent expenditure (IE) is money spent by a group to support the election of a candidate, but without any "formal coordination" with said candidate. For example, if a PAC spends money on its own TV advertisement supporting a candidate, but did so without coordinating with that candidate, it is an independent expenditure. Because of the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United, such independent expenditures cannot be capped by state or federal regulation, making them an avenue for unlimited spending in our politics.
The cited report below from California Common Cause describes ways to better regulate independent expenditures by expanding the definition of "coordination" and strengthening coordination laws:
- Expand coordination laws to cover IEs that make any reference to any identified candidate within 60 days of an election (seen in Maine, New York)
- Define broader ranges of conduct beyond explicit communication (for example, relational factors between a campaign and an outside spender) that would be considered "coordination"
- Make sure that coordination laws are air-tight, free from loopholes, streamlined, and easy to enforce