Research Foundation for the State University of New York

Campaign finance reforms are often pursued for a range of separately desirable, but sometimes conflicting, goals: for example, minimizing corruption and promoting competition, which are often in tension. Standard campaign finance reform proposals have typically included one or more of the following: limits on contributions; limits or restrictions on spending; public campaign financing (with or without spending limits); and transparency. Each of these comes in a variety of forms, with each form tending to favor one or more policy goals. This grant will support development of a white paper analyzing a range of campaign finance reform proposals to consider how each might further or conflict with Madisonian goals of a healthy Congress capable of deliberation, negotiation, and compromise.