1st Edition

Campaign Finance Reform and the Future of the Democratic Party

By Jerrold E. Schneider Copyright 2002

    Campaign Finance Reform and the Future of the Democratic Party offers a new interpretation of the dynamics of the American political system. Schneider explains how campaign finance reform would enable the Democratic Party to reverse the decades-long decline in their voter base. Reform would incentivize the Party to reallocate $1 trillion per year in contribution-driven waste to popular programs, without which the kind of progressive economic policies that have always energized the Democratic base will continue to be starved of resources. Schneider shows that, contrary to conventional wisdom, writing an effective reform law that can't be loopholed is feasible. So is a set of specific measures to force Congress to enact an effective law. In the end, reform holds the key to the democratic character and dynamics of the political system. Reform also holds the key to investments for future U.S productivity growth and the reduction of inequality.

    Acknowledgements 1.Introduction 2.Would Campaign Reform Work? 3.The Decline of the Democratic Party 4. Would Campaign Reform Yield Enough Money to Refloat the Democrats? 5.Are Weak Parties Inevitable? 6.Nine Party-Unifying Forces 7.Are the Democrats Big Spenders or Big Investors? Inequality and Productivity 8.Public Sector Investment 9.Conclsions 10.Epilogue: Is Campaign Reform Politically Feasible? Appendix: Two Prominent Campaign Reform Plans Notes References Index

    Biography

    Jerrold Schneider is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Delaware and author of Ideological Coalitions in Congress. He has been a Brookings Institution Research Fellow and Guest Scholar, as well as a National Endowment for Humanities Fellow.

    "A thorough and tightly-reasoned brief for radical campaign finance reform. This book will be a valuable resource for all those concerned with a better political system, a better Democratic Party and a better America." -- Ruy Teixeira, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation
    "Money-driven political systems are radically different from voter-centered systems. Schneider's fine new study shows how badly our understanding of Congress has been distorted by neglect of this simple, but profound point. His analysis of how campaign finance warps budgetary decision-making and party agendas is a striking correction to conventional wisdom and merits wide attention." -- Thomas Ferguson, Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Boston
    "This is a very appealing book, one which many may want to embrace." -- Congress and the Presidency: A Journal of Capital Studies
    "Schneider's arguments are intuitively convincing and well supported by reference to a vast amount of economics and political science literature... his approach and conclusions (are) engaging and provocative." -- American Political Science Review