FAQs – Renew Democracy

Why are group donations distorting democracy?

A root cause of the dysfunction in American political processes is the distortion of democracy in funding the campaign process. It is inescapable that larger donors have larger influence. To argue otherwise is ignoring the obvious. For democracy to function properly all votes must be equal. If the desired outcome is for the representative politician to have an equal concern for all of their constituency, then it is undesirable for some voters, through the grace of a large donation to gain disproportionate influence and become ” more equal”. The dispassionate observer of today’s American political scene must conclude that the scramble for campaign funding and commensurate influence over the political process create much of our current inability to function effectively politically and recognize, discuss, and solve our national problems.
The distortion to the political process created by direct donations from groups and organizations is particularly harmful due to the economic concentration effect of groups. Special interest group organizational activity in the political process distorts democracy through a distillation of intent. The individuals who donate to special-interest groups are likely to agree with those groups in their general direction and political goals however when the groups disseminate contributions they are unlikely to do it in a way that directly reflects the desires of the original donor. The group is most likely to support candidates and causes and political parties to a different extent, direction and amount than the original donor would have acting on their own. In this way the group shapes the democratic process differently than the individuals who make up the group would have in aggregate. This way of increasing the power of their donation is desirable to the donor, hence the donation, however the individual loses their separate voice and the nuance of their own political will. If all of the other voices in the political arena have the ability to shout because of the economic concentration of their group, then the separate voice and political will of the individual has already been lost and group speak are the only voices that are heard. That is the situation the individual voter finds themselves in currently.

Why does America need the Renew Democracy Amendment?

Today the esteem for Congress with the American populace is lower than it has ever been. Only 12% of voters think that our elected representatives are doing a sufficient job. Witnessing the struggles of our political system to come to grips with even the day-to-day functioning of our government it is ever more apparent there is a fundamental need for structural change. Whether you fall on either side of the political spectrum or are firmly in the middle, most American voters and politicians alike would agree that special-interest groups have control of our political process.

The Renew Democracy Amendment will establish a seminal change in whom our elected officials are reliant upon for funding their campaigns. It will become the individual citizen voter instead of the diversity of special interest groups that now control campaign finance. The Renew Democracy Amendment will dramatically reduce the influence of the political parties over the individual elected official by eliminating their participation in funding campaigns.

Whether you think it is the “other side’s” special-interest groups that are ruining America, or that all of them that are to blame, special interest groups are certainly the major contributing factor to the dysfunction and gridlock endemic in the American political process. Why does a politician care what special interests thinks beyond what political power exists from their voting block relative to the other voters they represent? Because of their campaign contributions.

We do have the power to change this and we can. Support the Renew Democracy Amendment and tell a friend!

Who is Renew Democracy ?

Renew Democracy is a completely grassroots organization with no affiliation or funding from any other group or organization. Renew democracy is committed to the long-term and difficult task of developing the political will and consensus requisite to bring about a constitutional amendment that will ensure the primacy of the individual voter in the political process. A desirable outcome of the amendment will be that political campaigns and parties will be financed solely by individual contribution which should greatly reduce the paralysis caused by special interest politics.