Commentary

Public Financing Lives in New York City
Mark Ladov

Campaign finance reform opponents will crow about the death of public financing. But don’t believe the hype. Public financing is alive and well…and living in New York City.

July 14, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
New York Reform
New York Reform
A Democracy of Voters, Not Dollars
Adam Skaggs

After the Supreme Court voted to throw out one provision of Arizona's public financing law, lawmakers across the country should adopt small donor matching programs without delay.

July 14, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
Arizona Free Enterprise and the Future of Public Financing
Adam Skaggs, Mark Ladov

Last month, a bitterly divided Supreme Court issued the latest in a string of ideologically-driven decisions that have struck down a series of legislative attempts to reduce the influence of money and special interests in our elections.

July 11, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
Try Public Financing on the State Level
Mark Ladov, Lawrence Norden

Government corruption keeps making headlines. Such news makes the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision striking down part of Arizona's public financing law particularly troubling. Fortunately for New Yorkers, the Empire State still has plenty of weapons to fight corruption in government.

July 6, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
New York Reform
New York Reform
Public Financing Lives
Erik Opsal

Public financing remains constitutionally sound after the Supreme Court's decision on the Arizona campaign law. Read a media roundup of the Brennan Center's response to the decision.

June 28, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
Michael Waldman on MSNBC Discussing McComish v. Bennett

The Brennan Center's Executive Director Michael Waldman appeared on MSNBC's The Daily Rundown to discuss McComish v. Bennett and the future of campaign finance law.

June 24, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
Money, Politics, and the Constitution: A Public Conversation

The Brennan Center and The Century Foundation examined what could be next for the First Amendment, how to advance a new jurisprudence that combats the rise of unfettered money in politics, and how to advance a vision of the Constitution as a charter for a vibrant, participatory democracy.

June 22, 2011
Money in Politics
Disclosure
Public Financing
An Attack on Elections With Broad Implications
Mimi Murray Digby Marziani

Reasonable people can debate the wisdom of voting to oust elected representatives before their terms are up – or the merits of rethinking the rules that govern public-sector unions. But there is no way to defend the one-two move to destroy a crucial safeguard of judicial integrity while burdening the right to vote.

June 4, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
Voting Rights & Elections
Restricting the Vote
In Wisconsin, Judges Are Elected—But Candidates Are Now Publicly Financed
Mark Ladov, Maria da Silva

Wisconsin’s 2011 Supreme Court election has been widely criticized, but there are also some silver linings. Most importantly, this election illustrates the importance of Wisconsin’s new judicial public financing system.

May 6, 2011
Money in Politics
Public Financing
Fair Courts
The First Amendment: Are Elections Special?
Erik Opsal

On April 28th, the Brennan Center hosted a debate between NYU’s Richard Pildes and Chicago’s Geoffrey Stone. The topic: Are elections special under the First Amendment? Here is video and photos from the debate, which marked the release of the Center’s new book Money, Politics and the Constitution: Beyond Citizens United, published by The Century Foundation Press.

May 3, 2011
Disclosure
Money in Politics
Public Financing

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