LOD: Not Waiting for Godot

Do you think it’s hopeless to challenge the advantage of big money in politics, especially after the Citizens United decision? Mark Schmitt points out that programs that amplify the power of small donors with “clean” public grants or matching money are effectively giving candidates the resources to wage viable campaigns. And even after CU, the majority of candidates in jurisdictions with such programs are opting to use them, Democrats and Republicans. Schmitt writes, “The next generation of campaign finance reform doesn’t have to be developed in a laboratory while waiting for Scalia or one of his colleagues to retire or to encounter a higher judge. It’s being designed, refined, tested, and improved as you read this in a half dozen states and municipalities.” If you need a reminder of the success of the North Carolina judicial program, see this two-page overview.