# Would allowing only public funding of elections help eliminate corruption? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 15, 2023, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843 "2023-02-15T19:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/41 "2023-02-16T14:40:25Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > Thanks, pal. I really needed yet another example of how our northern neighbor does things more reasonably than we. šŸ™„ Anything else I can do to brighten your day? šŸ˜€ ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/42 "2023-02-16T14:52:27Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > ETA: Weird. I thought I was replying to @Dinsdale , but it shows the reply is to @Horatius . No idea how that happened. Thatā€™s actually the second time thatā€™s happened this week. Some weird glitch going around. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/43 "2023-02-16T15:00:13Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > How do other ostensibly free and democratic countries manage to have elections that are so much shorter and involve so much less spending that the US? In the UK, election campaigns normally run for six weeks. The date of an election is variable and can be triggered by a variety of factors, including a simple decision by the ruling party. Electioneering and the associated costs are strictly controlled and losing candidates will frequently scrutinise the accounts of the winner to see if they broke the rules. The spending limit is calculated based on the number of eligible voters in a constituency. The more eligible voters there are, the higher the limit. The limits are pretty low - Ā£8,500 plus 6 or 9 pence per constituent depending on the type of constituency. > What counts as candidate spending? > Candidate spending includes the costs of: > ļ‚· advertising of any kind. For example, posters, newspaper > adverts, websites or YouTube videos. > ļ‚· unsolicited material sent to voters. For example, letters, > leaflets or emails you send that arenā€™t in response to specific > queries. > ļ‚· transport costs. For example, hire cars or public transport for > you or your campaigners. > ļ‚· public meetings. > ļ‚· staff costs. For example, an agentā€™s salary, or staff seconded > to you by their employer. You do not need to include time > spent on your campaign by volunteers. > ļ‚· accommodation. For example, your campaign office. > ļ‚· administrative costs. For example, telephone bills, stationery, > photocopying and the use of databases. > For each activity, you must include all the associated costs. > For example, if you are producing leaflets or advertising, you > must include the design and distribution costs. > You do not need to include peopleā€™s travel, food and > accommodation costs while they campaign on your behalf, > unless you reimburse them. If you are really interested this is a link to the full details: [https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf\_file/UKPGE-Part-3-Spending-and-donations.pdf](https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdf_file/UKPGE-Part-3-Spending-and-donations.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/44 "2023-02-16T19:55:25Z")
Sure, and it makes for interesting reading. Can any of it be applied to the U.S.? Not really. Parliamentary systems lack one single focus for an overall national election. They lack the dozens of candidates for that one position. They lack the etched-in-stone dates known years ahead of time. They lack the years-long run-up to that date that involved national campaigning and personal visits to every state. Looking around to see how other countries conduct elections is instructive. Unless you understand our current system thoroughly and deeply, though, the differences between their apples and our oranges will be lost. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/45 "2023-02-16T20:28:33Z")
If you want to get rid of corruption in politics, the answer is to give politicians less power. So long as the government can direct billions of dollars at the stroke of a pen, there will be corruption. The more power they have, the more corruption there will be. Itā€™s not just campaign financing. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/46 "2023-02-17T04:12:05Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@Dinsdale](#): > > > > Thanks, pal. I really needed yet another example of how our northern neighbor does things more reasonably than we. šŸ™„ > > Anything else I can do to brighten your day? šŸ˜€ Ooooh! Uncle Piper, uncle Piper!! Tell us the one about Healthcare again! Thatā€™s the bestest one! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/47 "2023-02-17T12:50:27Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > If you want to get rid of corruption in politics, the answer is to give politicians less power. If you give politicians less power, would that just move the power somewhere else, and would the corruption follow it? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/48 "2023-02-17T13:18:40Z")
Must note something and will piggyback on Dinsdaleā€™s post for it:: > [@Dinsdale](#): > > How do other ostensibly free and democratic countries manage to have elections that are so much shorter and involve so much less spending that the US? Note that as they mention, the contrary case is not by itself corruption per se. And I add, the countries with public financing or limited contributions or short campaigns are just as subject to corruption, influence peddling, etc. The greater point is, as they point out, > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Iā€™m not sure current spending leads to ā€œcorruptionā€ per se, but it DOES IMO skew policy-makersā€™ view of what constitutes the public interest. And it would be nice if Concresscritters were free to spend their time doing their jobs instead of perpetually chasing after campaign $. And in the case ofthe US one important factor here is the entirely _ **un** _veiled nature of the allegedly ā€œindependent, issue-based expressionā€. PACS/SuperPACs and even individual expressions probably short of myself just paying for a billboard in my own name across from the statehouse proclaiming ā€œSeriously, guys?ā€ naming no names, all become too obviously directed at favoring or not favoring an incumbent or challenger. And yes, _ā€œLetā€™s hear it for jobs in (industry thatā€™s big in this state)!ā€_ becomes _ā€œGod help you if you vote against (industry thatā€™s big in this state)'s subsidies and tax privileges, Senator.ā€_ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2023, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843/49 "2023-02-17T13:22:03Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > If you give politicians less power, would that just move the power somewhere else, and would the corruption follow it? Yes. Thereā€™s a lot of total power. Wealthy people and large corporations wield vast power over the rest of us, and ā€œpolitical corruptionā€ is mostly their attempts to avoid the checks that government places on them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-allowing-only-public-funding-of-elections-help-eliminate-corruption/979843.md?page=2)