Publicly Financed Campaigns

League of Women Voters^®
of Boulder County

The Fair Elections Now Act would allow candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to run for office without relying on large contributions, big money bundlers, and donations from lobbyists. Candidates would be freed from constant fundraising. Learn more about publicly financed campaigns and what you can do to reduce government corruption.

Focus of the Publicly Financed Campaigns Committee. About Publicly Financed Campaigns. More Information.

Focus of the Publicly Financed Campaigns Committee

While the committee is not active at this time, we encourage you to stay informed about this topic, and suggest the following website as a reference: Americans for Campaign Reform

Any League member interested in publicly financed campaign issues may contact the LWVBC President if you want to re-activate the Committee for the purpose of study, observation of public meetings, or engage in a particular project or event (you don't have to be an expert, as you learn in the process of study and involvement in the topic).

About Publicly Financed Campaigns

At the national level, President Theodore Roosevelt is credited with launching the discussion of campaign finance reform when, in his 1905 message to Congress, he proposed that "contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law."
Over the years, many forms of campaign finance reform have been tried. Our committee has been studying a particular type of reform -- publicly financed campaigns. Traditional campaign finance reform seeks to limit campaign contributions and spending, while publicly financed campaigns provide public funding to qualified candidates who choose to participate.
Different terms have been used for publicly financed campaigns: Clean Elections, Fair Elections, Clean Money, Clean Campaigns, Publicly Financed Elections, and Voter Owned Campaigns.
Whatever name is used, the groups behind these efforts are looking for solutions to problems of widespread concern:

time and energy spent by candidates and elected officials raising money for campaigns;

the influence of money on who gets elected and possibly on what legislation gets passed;

individuals who are not independently wealthy and who do not want to accept special interest money are unable to run for office.

More Information

Best all-round website: Americans for Campaign Reform
Contains current news on federal and states' legislation, results from states practicing publicly funded elections, and more.
Fair Elections Now Act
State of Colorado Progress on Publicly Financed Campaigns
City of Boulder Public Finance System
PFC Committee Activities
PFC Committee Articles
Definition of Publicly Financed Campaigns vs Traditional Campaign Finance Reform

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: February 22, 2012 13:46 PST.