Why is campaign finance reform needed?
Campaign finance reform has three inter-related goals: reducing the escalating costs of elections, leveling the playing field for candidates and freeing candidates from the constant preoccupations of raising money. The 1996 congressional and presidential elections cost over $2.2 billion dollars – the most in US history. The 1998 congressional elections continued the trend of escalating campaign costs. To make matters worse, the time candidates spend raising money has been increasing (the average cost of winning a House race in constant dollars has tripled since 1974.) Campaign finance reform is needed because of the lack of both political equality and public accountability in our current system of governance. Does the Jewish tradition help us understand the need for campaign finance reform? Deuteronomy 16 says, “You shall not judge unfairly: you shall know no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just” In the Talmud
