No one expects billionaire campaign contributors to go away, but Democrats’ moves to swear off big money in favor of small, individual donations are shifting the political culture.
Eliza Newlin Carney
Eliza Newlin Carney is a freelance writer and founder of The Civic Circle, a civic education nonprofit. She is former senior editor at The American Prospect, and previously worked for CQ Roll Call and National Journal. Her email is newlincarney@gmail.com.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Trump’s Inaugural Was a Hot Mess from the Start, and Now It Puts Him in Legal Peril
New disclosures surface every day in the Russia collusion probes, but mundane campaign-finance violations may once again cause Trump his biggest headaches.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
House Democrats Want to Reorganize Congress. They Shouldn’t Stop Halfway.
If House Democrats really want to end dysfunction on Capitol Hill, they’ll have to fix the broken budget process.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
House Democrats’ Anti-Corruption Push Resonates Well Beyond the Beltway
State momentum builds for voting and campaign-finance fixes, both emulating and advancing the case for national democracy reforms.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Democrats Have Promised to Clean Up Washington. Can They Deliver?
It’s easy enough for House Democrats to approve a package of democracy reforms that they know Mitch McConnell will scuttle. It will be harder to swear off big money, and work with Republicans on lasting fixes.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Republicans Who Slap Voters in the Face May Be in for a Nasty Surprise
Republican power grabs in the Midwest could cost the GOP dearly in 2020.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Read It and Weep: Georgia Lawsuit Paints Stark Portrait of Voter Suppression
Republicans have scoffed at allegations of voting rights violations in Georgia, but a lawsuit filed by Stacey Abrams allies catalogues disenfranchisement in grim detail.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
It’s Time to Fix American Elections — Again
Conflicts of interest, dilapidated machines, erratic election administration, and voter suppression were on full display in this midterm, giving Congress plenty to fix.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Can the Progressive Coalition Beat Trump?
Whether or not they prevail on Election Day, women, immigrants, African Americans, and youth voters will emerge from this midterm stronger than before.
Posted inCivil Rights in America
Democracy Is on the Ballot
Voters will consider close to two dozen ballot initiatives to fix the broken political process and open up democracy this fall, but GOP legislators are moving to rig the system still further.