Common Sense has commented previously on money and politics. Indeed, the limited campaign finance reform that provided for public funding of presidential campaigns and limits on contributions has been gutted first by the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and now by the Republican House proposal.
That money, particularly big money, has a destructive effect on representative government is abundantly clear. As Congress has passed laws that favor big business and wealth over the common good and has dismantled public safeguards that limit the risk inherent in big money and big business we have seen the near collapse of the financial system and rampant corruption in that system. We have seen one Congressional scandal after another. We have seen the bulk of the wealth in the country concentrated in the few.
Common Sense believes that these outcomes are destructive of a free and just society and that one essential step in insuring that elected government actually represents the will of the electorate is to get money out of elections. Public funding of elections is a reasonable step. Limiting campaign contributions to those that can actually vote in an election would be a better step still. Likewise restricting the campaign season so that candidates can not easily shape their message to particular primaries makes sense. Regional, or better yet a national primary, would do much to return honesty and candor to politics.
These are common sense steps that have some hope of returning governance to the governed. What the Supreme Court has done and what the Republican House is attempting is simply wrong in a free democratic society.
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