Money & Politics

Current Campaigns

Campaign Finance Reform

The high cost of campaigns—approximately $2.8 billion in 2006—invites corruption, reduces the number and diversity of candidates for public office, and forces the concerns of average citizens behind those of wealthy donors in a Congress that is heavily reliant on campaign contributions from powerful interests. A new system for financing campaigns is necessary to restore the promise of our democracy, one that allows qualified candidates who agree to spending limits and refuse private contributions to receive a set amount of public funds. Read more.

Lobby Reform

Recent congressional scandals demonstrate the role of powerful interests and their lobbyists, as they engage in unseemly practices from accepting gifts and travel junkets to outright bribery. Read more.

Overview

Money plays far too great a role in American elections, from the municipal level all the way up to the U.S. Presidency. Large contributions from a few groups and individuals unduly influence who wins elections and reduce the role of ordinary voters in our democracy.

U.S.PIRG is working to achieve campaign finance reform by enforcing tough campaign contribution limits, creating systems of public financing, and enacting lasting lobby reform.

When Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleaded guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes, the American public was outraged. In response to the large number of scandals in the last Congress, lawmakers recently passed sweeping changes to the rules to limit the “cozy” relationship between legislators and lobbyists.