Not surprisingly, nearly 80% of Americans believe that elected officials are more accountable to those who give money to their campaigns than they are to ordinary people. Voters say campaigns are too expensive, special interest have too much influence, good candidates without money or connections to special interests don't have a fair chance of competing for office, and politicians spend too much time raising campaign money instead of devoting their full energies to the duties of public office.
      The current campaign finance system, which almost invariably provides contributors some sort of payback in the form of tax breaks, relaxed regulation or other special treatment, has alienated the public and helped reduce participation in what should be the world's most vibrant democracy. As long as private money finances campaigns, private (special) interests will continue to exercise undue influence on the legislative process.
      The solution? One possibility is Clean Money Campaign Reform (CMCR), aimed at cutting the direct connection between candidates and special interest contributors (both PACs and individuals).
      While CMCR is strictly voluntary, in keeping with United States Supreme Court rulings, this alternative approach to financing political campaigns provides strong incentives for candidates to participate. Candidates receive a set amount of Clean Money from a publicly financed fund if they agree to refuse private money and limit their spending. Participating candidates qualify by demonstrating broad public support, not by raising money (as in the presidential campaigns, which are partially publicly funded).
      While no two CMCR systems are exactly the same, they often may include free or discounted media, mandatory candidate debates, disclosure of conflicts of interest, and additional funds for candidates targeted by independent expenditures (spending by an individual or group not affiliated with a candidate). Overall, CMCR systems reduce campaign spending while protecting the integrity of candidates and the lawmaking process.
      While CMCR proposals have been offered at the national level, concrete action to implement Clean Money is moving forward in the states. Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts and Vermont held legislative elections under CMCR systems in 2002, and more than a dozen other states are working on similar proposals.
      Because many people already have a negative view of the current campaign finance system, the idea of funding campaigns with taxpayers' money often triggers a further negative reaction: "I'm not paying for that!" But on second thought, most people realize they pay for campaigns now - and not by choice. When a big contributor gets a special tax break, who pays the tax the big contributor used to pay? When clean air regulations are relaxed to benefit a certain industry, whose air gets dirtier?
      This effect is seen even at the level of the Wyoming Legislature, where significant campaign contributions coupled with a strong lobbying presence give the state's mineral energy industries tremendous influence. Their influence is manifested in tax breaks for mineral production, increases in sales tax instead of property tax and repeated attempts (many successful) to weaken protections for workers and the environment.
      Elected officials naturally want to please their supporters. Clean Money Campaign Reform seeks to restore fairness and equality to our democracy by making taxpayers and a candidate's supporters one and the same. If public officials are elected with public money, maybe they will want to please the public instead of just a select few.
      Polling consistently shows that a broad majority of Americans support Clean Money proposals - and support is equally strong among Republicans, Democrats and Independents. To learn more about CMCR, please contact:

Campaign contribution information for state-level races is compiled by the National Institute on Money in State Politics in Helena, Montana. Their searchable website is located at:

Campaign contribution information for federal-level races is compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C. Their publication, Open Secrets, served as the model for The Wyoming LAP* Book. Their searchable website is located at: