Published by the Center for the Study of The Great Ideas (founded in 1990 by Mortimer J. Adler and Max Weismann)
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Friday, November 21, 2014

Campaign costs and faith in democracy

The Economist's 'Lexington' columnist posted at Democracy in America.
"Campaign spending is tightly regulated in Britain, along with other forms of free speech (broadcasters are still required to demonstrate political balance, for instance, and paid TV and radio political ads are outlawed)."
As a result,
"the seventh costliest [2014 U.S.] Senate race cost more than the entire 2010 general election in Britain."
And he notes,
"Many Americans worry that public faith in democracy is being undermined by vast sums of corrupting money. There is a prevailing suspicion that elected representatives are essentially bought and paid for by wealthy special interests.
Cause and effect?
"But here is the thing. I have covered elections in Britain and British voters voice exactly the same complaints, word for word."

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