You're one of my heros, Dr. Reich. I read your book "Locked in the Cabinet" on a cross-country road trips a few years ago. As someone who works in legislative affairs, I believe the current political system's major problem to be campaign financing. Legislators are forced to raise large sums of money from corporations (and other special interests) in order to retain their jobs. When it comes time to take up pieces of legislation pertaining to complex policy areas, they go to the people they know, trust, and with whom they have a relationship -- often the lobbyists from their donating organizations. I know you are Chairman of the Board at Common Cause. What can we do to combat the influence of money in policymaking? I believe public financing of campaigns would be an amazing reform because elected officials are then beholden to taxpayers, not special interests.
leastrock4 karma
You're one of my heros, Dr. Reich. I read your book "Locked in the Cabinet" on a cross-country road trips a few years ago. As someone who works in legislative affairs, I believe the current political system's major problem to be campaign financing. Legislators are forced to raise large sums of money from corporations (and other special interests) in order to retain their jobs. When it comes time to take up pieces of legislation pertaining to complex policy areas, they go to the people they know, trust, and with whom they have a relationship -- often the lobbyists from their donating organizations. I know you are Chairman of the Board at Common Cause. What can we do to combat the influence of money in policymaking? I believe public financing of campaigns would be an amazing reform because elected officials are then beholden to taxpayers, not special interests.
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