It Is Time to Improve Our Democracy

 

Two days from now we will celebrate our 227 birthday as a Nation dedicated to freedom and democracy.  The word democracy comes from two Greek words – demos, the people, and kratein, to rule.  Somehow and someway democracy means that the people rule, not the King, Emperor, President, Prime Minister.  The people rule through their chosen officials.

 

In America today, how effectively do the people really rule through their elected officials?  Perhaps the salient question is, how effectively do big money, big corporations and organizations rule through elected, or more to the point, financed officials?

 

Today a candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives who spends, and thus raises, the most money wins 94% of the time.  The cost of winning a House seat rose from $87,000 in 1976 to $840,000 in 2000. 

 

In the U.S., money seems to rule more than people do.  As former Senator Alan Simpson says, ”Who, after all, can seriously contend that a $100,000 donation does not alter the way one thinks about—and quite possibly votes on—an issue?”  Senator Zell Miller bluntly describes the daily conversations from fundraising cubicles: “I’d remind the agribusinessman I was on the Agriculture Committee; I’d remind the banker I was on the Banking committee…. Most large contributors understand only two things; what you can do for them and what you can do to them.  I always left that room feeling like a cheap prostitute who’d had a busy day.”

 

I think that the reality of the overwhelming power of big money over elected officials is one reason so many citizens feel powerless.  As a result many have withdrawn from the political process.  In the 2000 Federal election, the Federal Election Commission reports that only 51.3% of those 18 and older voted.  That figure is a sad state of affairs for a democracy.

 

Can anything be done to give power back to the people?  Several states have addressed this problem by enacting legislation that offers candidates the choice to accept public financing of their campaigns or to raise their own money the traditional way.  The plans are similar in these states and are simple:

  1. The state offers a certain amount of money to a candidate running for state office based on last election costs of campaigning.
  2. To qualify for this money the candidate must get a certain number of registered voters, e.g. 1000, in his or her district to sign their names and contribute, usually $5 to $25.
  3. Upon being qualified, the candidate agrees not to raise or spend private money to finance the campaign.
  4. If ones opponent raises more money than the state has allocated, the state then increases the amount of public financing by a third to a half in order to equal the playing field.

 

Maine and Arizona have the longest history of public financing of elections.  The results show that in Maine 53% of the House and 77% of the Senate is composed of legislators who used public financing. 

 

Maine Republican Senator Rick Bennett said, “We were able to field some really terrific people in seats that frankly would have been difficult to find good candidates in the past.”

 

In Arizona, the Governor, Janet Napolitano, 45% of the House (22% Republican and 29% Democrat) and 9 out of 11 statewide offices – all won on public financed campaigns.

 

The overall impact on improving the health of democracy is well stated by Arizona Republican Corporation Commissioner Marc Spitzer – “I am not a novice campaigner, having run for office successfully four times under traditional private financing and in 2000 under Arizona’s Clean Elections law.  The comparison is stark.  Clean Elections empowers the constituency, gives voices to thousands of voters, expands opportunities and enhances democracy.  Clean Elections is about bringing back grassroots, one-to-one politics, the way it used to be, instead of high-dollar media campaign financed by huge contributions from the well-heeled.  Clean Elections is about the restoration of democracy.”

 

Here in Washington a group of public minded citizens have launched an effort to bring about the public financing of state elections.  They have recently been incorporated as Washington Public Campaigns.  The group realizes that this effort will take much effort and time.  If you care to inquire about their efforts you can download their newsletter at www.washclean.org.  To get information on all the states now using public financing of campaigns go to www.publicampaign.org. 

 

What do you want for Washington State, politics as usual or a way to empower the people?