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Campaign Finance Reform

During the 1990s, the public expressed growing concern over the increasing amounts of unregulated “soft money” that were being injected into the American political process. News reports about wealthy soft-money donors gaining special access to the Lincoln Bedroom or presidential coffee klatches led to the realization that political reforms enacted after the Watergate scandals were not working.

Pew has taken part since 1996 in nonpartisan efforts to help reform the role money plays in political campaigns because elections serve as an entry point for citizens to participate in civic life. Pew supports a credible and effective system of campaign finance to increase voters’ confidence and engagement in the electoral process.

With our involvement—along with that of our partners—we have sought to play a positive role in helping to spark a national dialogue and, ultimately, an agreement on options for change.

On the federal level, Pew has worked to support organizations that develop a body of research and data to fully understand the nature of the problem; to communicate those findings to the public and to policy makers; to identify practical solutions and to monitor campaign finance laws and policies. Partners in this effort have been, among others, the League of Woman Voters Education Fund, Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, Brigham Young University, Democracy 21 Education Fund, Campaign Legal Center, Center for Responsive Politics, Hudson Institute, Committee for Economic Development, and the University of Wisconsin.

These widespread efforts helped to lead to the passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in 2002, which increased grassroots fund-raising and reduced the influence of large donors.

Pew has also been involved on the state level in evaluating the strength of laws, rules and practices aimed at bringing transparency into election funding.

Our campaign finance reform work, now a part of the Pew Center on the States, continues. We focus on the issues and best practices related to reducing the influence of big-money donors in the political process.

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