The Intellectual Grounding of Election Reform
by Benjamin Wyatt
The pervasive influence of special interest money in our elections increasingly disenfranchises vast segments of our society. In The Social Contract, Rousseau argues that the legitimacy of a society’s sovereignty depends on "incorporat[ing] every member as an indivisible part of the whole." Yet, in the world's greatest democracy barely half of the voters ever go to the polls.
The realization that the noble civil society outlined by the founding fathers was incomplete and imperfect is, it seems to me, the better part of patriotism. It is only through coming to this realization and acting to institute change that the strength and legitimacy of our government can be secured.
Over the last 150 years, great strides have been made in expanding the franchise to minorities, women, and youth. However, the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments did not fully perfect our democratic equality and freedom. Currently, 75% of political donors are men, 85% are white, and 80% earn over $100,000 a year. Faced with these figures, it comes as no surprise that women, minorities, and the "less than wealthy" are under-represented in nearly all levels of public office.
This under-representation has wide-ranging effects on vital priorities and policies influencing our economy and communities. America’s founding principles—liberty, equal opportunity and the responsibility of citizenship—necessitate empowering more people in our elections. Comprehensive, but voluntary, public financing of elections should be instituted so that nobody is restricted from running for and winning public office because of financial disadvantages.