A Move for Fair Elections in Congress
Bill would create publicly financed congressional campaigns

By Damon Circosta
Published: May 11, 2009

RALEIGH - Partisanship and campaign money. They are the sun and the moon of the political universe.

Even if you know nothing of the ways of Washington, D.C., you know that political parties and campaign contributions have a gravitational pull on our government. Gerrymandered congressional districts, high-dollar television campaigns and increased focus on the sport-like aspects of political contests have all contributed to elevating these components to the prime factors in how we govern ourselves.

It hasn’t always been this way. In the early days of our republic, representatives went to the capital without having run the gauntlet of party bosses and wealthy donors. In fact, political parties were considered a dangerous innovation when they first arrived in the early 19th century, being viewed as a way to manipulate popular will.

As the cost of campaigning became increasingly expensive, wealthy campaign donors were also offered an outsized role in our government. Once parties and big money got a seat at the table, their influence has only increased. Unless legislation has the backing of a political party or a wealthy interest group, it typically doesn’t even get introduced.

Perhaps things are starting to change. Witness the curious case of a piece of legislation known as the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA). Introduced by Rep. Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, and Rep. John Larson, a Connecticut Democrat, FENA seeks to realign the political universe. It offers an alternative way for candidates to run for office by participating in a voter-owned election program.

The program would leverage the small-dollar contributions of ordinary citizens into a viable campaign by offering a public financing incentive to candidates who forgo high-dollar contributions. It would provide an alterative to the special interest money chase, which would significantly diminish the power of special interests and the party bosses that control the purse strings. That power is immense.

“It really is out of control,” says Jones. “I think if you really want to make what we call a democracy strong, you’ve got to bring it back to the people. You have got to allow the people who can give $5, $25, $100 to let them know that you can influence the process.”

In ordinary times, legislation like FENA wouldn’t see the light of day. The powers that be would tuck the bill away in some hidden drawer. But times are changing.

The economic crisis and the government response have focused the public’s attention on how Washington works and whose hand is on the levers of power. This reexamination has created an opening that may not have been there in years past. Although bill sponsors don’t think passage will be easy, they are undeterred.

“If we can just get hearings this year and get people around this country to know that we can do something about this out of control influence in Washington, then I think in the next few years we might see a cycle where we do have this participation,” Jones says. “And to me, that would certainly strengthen our government.”

The bill sponsors are working hard to make this truly a bi-partisan effort. As they seek a hearing and push this idea forward they are reaching out to members of Congress from all over the country and all political persuasions.

Partisans and big donors will invariably try to stop this effort, as it would significantly curtail their influence. But Jones thinks that ultimately this idea will prevail. “To me,” Jones says, “the strength of this country is that people can trust those of us they sent to represent them in Raleigh or Washington.”