Our Money Myths series dispels common misperceptions about money in politics, giving readers a better understanding of how the political system really works.
USA
Tracy Marshall | 03/16/2020

In Sunday night’s Democratic presidential debate, frontrunner Joe Biden renewed his call for eliminating private money from elections and instead having federally-funded campaigns. Candidates from both sides of the aisle are increasingly interested in having the government fund their election efforts. Here are five reasons why more government control is the wrong way to make campaigns …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 03/09/2020

Super Tuesday’s biggest loser? The narrative that money can buy an election.  From the top of the ballot to the bottom, voters proved again and again they won’t be swayed by money alone. Here are some glaring examples: The most infamous case is Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, who spent north of $500 million yet …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 10/09/2019

Bernie Sanders’ recent heart attack may be keeping him off the campaign trail for a while, but he is still an active presence in the race for Democratic frontrunner. Just this week, he rolled out a multi-pronged plan designed to limit the influence of money in politics. State politics are Transparency Texas’ primary focus, but …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 10/02/2019

As Democratic presidential candidates begin to reveal how much money they raised last quarter, it makes sense to examine the policies they promote about raising that money. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders (and at least eight others) have advocated for expanding or mandating government-funded elections. Today, most advocates for government-funded campaigns, also called publicly funded …

USA
Tracy Marshall | 04/16/2019

This week we close out our series on the Myths about Money in Politics by debunking the most insidious myth of all — that your money, time, and vote don’t matter. With constant political chatter about dark money swirling around and rumors of billionaires buying elections, it’s hard to believe that a simple contribution to …