Labor's Role

Steve Rosenthal and Amanda Fuchs

Real campaign finance reform must even the playing field so that any qualified candidate can run a viable campaign regardless of wealth or access to it.

The underlying problem of the current political system is that money has flooded the election process and has driven campaign spending out of control. The cost of campaigns has prevented ordinary people from having a fair shot at winning elective office. Today, only the wealthy or well-connected can run viable races because only they are able to raise the enormous sums of money required to do so.

A look at the 1996 US House races exemplifies the role that wealthy contributors now play in political campaigns. The cost of winning the average US House race has more than doubled in the last ten years. According to a study by Citizen Action, corporate special interest PACs and large individual donors poured $459 million into House and Senate campaigns during the 1996 election cycle--giving Republican candidates $285 million (62%) and Democratic candidates $174 million (38%).

For many years, American working families have had virtually no voice in our political system. That is why in 1996, organized labor undertook an unprecedented grassroots campaign to educate and mobilize working families around priority legislative issues. Called Labor '96, this campaign was part of a long-term effort to put working family issues in the forefront of the national debate, to inform working Americans about incumbents' voting records on issues, and to hold elected leaders accountable for their actions.

Our campaign succeeded in putting working family issues back on the table. After the Gingrich-led 104th Congress launched the worst assault on working families in 75 years--attacking virtually every right and protection that American workers have--Labor '96's efforts forced many members of Congress to abandon the Gingrich "revolution." By exposing congressional votes against working families and by educating and mobilizing union members around key issues, the labor movement shifted the national debate, and issues such as retirement security, education, and Medicare became the defining issues of 1996.

As effective as labor's efforts were, working families were countered with a heavily funded attack by big business. During the 1996 election cycle, working families were outspent by more than seven to one by business groups. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, large corporate interests dominate the political process through PAC, individual and soft money contributions. In PAC spending alone, business PACs outspent labor three to one. An October 1996 report by the Center said, "no business-labor ratio tilts in favor of business even if the AFL-CIO's much reported $35 million in spending on issues ads is added to direct contributions."

The AFL-CIO endorses the idea of meaningful campaign finance reform that will ensure that ordinary Americans have a voice in the political process. Campaigns must be about people--not money. In order for this to happen, the role of small contributors must be strengthened by reducing the role of wealthy contributors, including wealthy individuals and large corporate interests.

To do this, any meaningful campaign finance reform proposal must include public financing of campaigns. Public financing would reduce candidates' dependence on wealthy contributors and also eliminate candidates' need to spend all their time raising money.

As we reform campaign finance laws at the state and federal level, a possible model deserving consideration is the statewide initiative which was passed in Maine last November. By combining full public financing, limits on what candidates can spend on campaigns, reduced contributions, and a shorter campaign season, the Maine law shifts elections away from the wealthy and in favor of the ordinary voters.

We must also begin to look at other aspects of election reform. It is clear that the American public is fed up with the role of money in politics. As we work towards shifting the focus of campaigns from money to people, we must take steps to increase voter participation. These efforts should include--but not be limited to--early voting, same day registration, vote-by-mail, 24-hour voting, and making Election Day a national holiday.

Donnelly, Fine, and Miller write that their proposal will mean "a more fair political system, with greater equality in opportunities for political influence." Working families deserve to have their voices heard--from the State House to the White House. Real reform must put the voters back in the driver's seat.

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