Sunlight is said to be the best
of disinfectants; electric light
the most efficient policeman. ²⁷

Justice Brandeis' words are as relevant today as when he wrote them over 60 years ago. When turned on the political arena and, in particular, election campaigns, the public spotlight can illuminate the sources of a candidate's financial support and his or her obligations once elected. Voters can make choices based on what they see.

But what the voters see is often limited by disclosure laws that provide too little information, too late in the election process. The view is blocked further still by stacks of paper reports that make searching for answers a long and difficult task.

To serve the public well, campaign disclosure laws should require adequate detail from candidates, political parties, and other filers about the sources of their funding and how they spend their money. In addition, laws should ensure that disclosure reports are filed regularly throughout the campaign and more frequently in the days just before the election.

Computers should be used to collect and provide public access to campaign finance information. Today, when enormous amounts of money are raised and spent by an increasing number of candidates, political groups, and individual donors, it is virtually impossible to trace patterns of political spending using just pen and paper. Federal, state, and local governments use computers to store and process all types of public records. Most candidates, political parties, and political action committees are plugged into the electronic age as well. There is little justification to leave the public groping in the dark for answers about the candidates asking for their votes.

The Center for Responsive Politics offers this model as a guide for all those trying to shed more light on the flow of campaign money in this country.

HTML Development by JNAH Enterprise ® and the Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation, 1996.