Doing Campaign Finance Disclosure the Right Way

A basic fundraising metrics system designed for practical campaign finance disclosure has been outlined. This great Brennan Center article is an expanation for how important context is when dealing with government release of information about political campaign spending. In order to do transparency the right way, Victoria Bassetti of the Brennan Center recommends ‘three ideas worth considering for Senate candidates’:

• Despite some reservations, a moderate base of small donors is superior to a small base of large donors. As a benchmark, candidates should receive between 14 and 25 percent of their funds from donations of below $200.
•  In-state contributors are superior to out-of-state contributors. Donations should come from constituents, not out-of-state donors with special agendas. We should analyze historical patterns of in-state contribution proportions and other data to establish a benchmark for in-state fundraising percentages.
• Finally, the donor base should not be concentrated in one industry or set of interests. Candidates should receive no more than 10 percent from any one of these sectors.