Election Reform
Money and campaigns, no matter the laws that control, never mix well. But today, a tiny handful of donors are running wild within the political system, and we must change our laws to decrease the influence that large donors have on elections, and subsequently on government. This is why I advocate for public funding of federal campaigns. Public campaign financing, like the law that has been adopted in Connecticut, would allow candidates to seek political office without having to rely on big donors. It would also ease the pressure that public officials may face from their corporate donors or lobbyists. And it would increase incentives for bipartisan cooperation when lawmakers no longer have to draw political and policy lines so quickly after the election in order to create justifications for political donations.
A second major problem with our election system is the redrawing of geographical boundaries of congressional districts for partisan political gain, or gerrymandering. The creation of such "safe" congressional districts has been one element of the increasing partisan gridlock in Congress, as primary elections become more important than general elections, and candidates increasingly seek to appeal only to the most extreme partisans within their districts. I believe that the best approach is for redistricting to be carried out on a nonpartisan basis.
Today, citizens feel like they have lost control of their government. Election reform is the best way to take power away from special, monied interests, and return it to the people.
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