Democracy Vouchers: How bringing money into politics can drive money out of politics

Tom Latkowski

Jul 2021 · Democracy Policy Network Books

About this ebook

From city halls to the halls of Congress, big money dominates American politics. Despite widespread support for reform, even basic attempts to address the problem have been defeated. As a result, American politics has gotten stuck, with even popular reforms like raising the minimum wage, mitigating climate change, and preventing gun violence seeming impossible.

A bold new plan being piloted right now could provide a way forward. The idea is simple: The government gives everyone “democracy vouchers” that they can donate to candidates of their choice. If candidates opt-in, they can accept and redeem vouchers for public money to fund their campaign. In Democracy Vouchers, Tom Latkowski shares everything you need to know to start championing this transformative campaign finance system in your city and state.

Ratings and reviews

That has got to be the single hadnly most absurd idea ive heard. Ever more laughable then the fact that you think climate change policies, raising the minimum wage and gun control are popular issues. For one your vouchers don't even claim to be the only one form of money politicans can use. Second i dont want to spend my tax dollars for everyone to be able to support politicians. Theres 330 million people in america. $1 alone would mean working people would have to fund $3 to support that $1 investment into a politician. Third think about this, what would happen to that money if they pulled out? We basically just taxed the american people to fund a single individuals lifestyle. We already do that enough with our congresses and legislative bodies. But hey i give you credit for trying to figure out the issue of campaign spending. But the issue can easily be relsolved through no political ads and no public campaigning. Force politicians to do townhall debates and public forum all for free

About the author

Tom Latkowski is an expert on state and local campaign finance. As a policy organizer at the Democracy Policy Network, Latkowski authored a policy kit on city and state democracy voucher programs. An advocate for public financing, Latkowski is the cofounder of Los Angeles For Democracy Vouchers, an organization working to end mass exclusion from the campaign finance system in Los Angeles.

Lawrence Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. Prior to rejoining the Harvard faculty, Lessig was a professor at Stanford Law School, where he founded the school's Center for Internet and Society, and at the University of Chicago. He clerked for Judge Richard Posner on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Antonin Scalia on the United States Supreme Court.

Lessig serves on the Board of Creative Commons (emeritus) and the AXA Research Fund. He is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Association, and has received numerous awards, including the Free Software Foundation's Freedom Award, a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award, Fastcase 50 Award and being named one of Scientific American's Top 50 Visionaries.

Lessig holds a BA in economics and a BS in management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in philosophy from Cambridge, and a JD from Yale.