Disincentivizing Corruption

I’ve written a couple of times on this blog about the power of incentive.  Incentive, as I understand it, is the ultimate source of all human action and inaction.  Corruption is no exception.

Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) have introduced truly groundbreaking legislation that deals precisely with this issue.  The Fair Elections Now Act would replace a special-interest funded campaign system with one that is funded by both public funding and small-dollar donations.  By stripping candidates of the incentive to fall into the pockets of powerful special interests through the pursuit of large campaign donations, members of Congress would be free to pursue the interests of their constituents and focus on making sound policy judgments without the taint of a corruption-friendly system.  This is precisely what representative democracy is all about.

Lawrence Lessig has launched a Change Congress campaign that backs this legislation.  It seems to be gaining some ground and this bill, or some version of it, just might make it through Congress if enough people join the cause by pressuring their representatives to vote for it.

I usually have trouble taking a side on a particular issue since there are very few that are simply black or white.  But this is one of those things that is just so basic in its necessity that I can’t help but strongly support it.