http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2008/04/27/the-end-of-public-financing-for-the-presidential-election/ Thoughts from the Internet and Democracy Project team at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:33:36 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2008/04/27/the-end-of-public-financing-for-the-presidential-election/comment-page-1/#comment-462 Tony Pell Tue, 06 May 2008 19:43:52 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/idblog/2008/04/27/the-end-of-public-financing-for-the-pr#comment-462 In campaign financing, Economic Class predominates -- and is that acceptable in a truly democratic society? Compared with practice and law in Western Europe in general (presumably democracies....?), the profligacy of spending in US elections is tantamount to buying votes. The process today, though, is carried out on every level, from precinct to town to county to state and beyond, instead of through Wards as in the past. During a recent business trip to Europe I was again questioned by folks on all sides of the political spectrum (from left-leaning Social Democrats to staunch right-wing Conservatives) how the US can proclaim itself a great democracy when bank account electioneering is the rule rather than the exception. Free Speech is not defined by who can Yell Loudest, ie pay the most, is it? By a Political Financial Complex sitting easily next to its blood brother, the Military Industrial Complex? Free Flow of Information from those with deepest pockets? In campaign financing, Economic Class predominates — and is that acceptable in a truly democratic society? Compared with practice and law in Western Europe in general (presumably democracies….?), the profligacy of spending in US elections is tantamount to buying votes. The process today, though, is carried out on every level, from precinct to town to county to state and beyond, instead of through Wards as in the past. During a recent business trip to Europe I was again questioned by folks on all sides of the political spectrum (from left-leaning Social Democrats to staunch right-wing Conservatives) how the US can proclaim itself a great democracy when bank account electioneering is the rule rather than the exception. Free Speech is not defined by who can Yell Loudest, ie pay the most, is it? By a Political Financial Complex sitting easily next to its blood brother, the Military Industrial Complex? Free Flow of Information from those with deepest pockets?

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