By Jonathan Mehta Stein in Common Cause. Here is an excerpt;

“Matching funds” programs and democracy dollars, two approaches to public financing of campaigns, can be keys to breaking big money’s grip on state politics and lifting up the voices of regular Californians, according to a new report released today by California Common Cause. The report, “The California Dream,” is a step-by-step guide for policymakers, activists, and researchers to implement publicly financed elections.

“The California Dream of an inclusive, multi-racial democracy where everyone has influence — not just the wealthy and well-connected — requires addressing money in our politics,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause. “Today, wealthy special interests too often make the rules, set the agenda, and drown out the voices of the people. The dual reforms in our report can amplify the role of everyday Californians in our democracy and make it possible for more women, people of color, and those of modest means to run and get elected to public office.” 

Key findings show how California’s campaign finance system rewards outsized influence to wealthy donors, with special interests pumping more than $31 million into Assembly and Senate campaigns in 2020. Using existing research and interviews with campaign finance reform experts, program administrators, political consultants, and candidates, the report outlines how publicly financed campaigns, either a matching funds program or a democracy dollars program, can transfer power away from the special interests and back into the hands of the people.

Read the full article here.