Small reforms won't save democracy

Democrats in Congress have proposed a bill intended to stop the flood of corporate money into elections. This is an incredibly urgent issue since the Supreme Court legalized unlimited political spending by big corporations.

Unfortunately, this bill would require most corporations to only report how many millions they spend. History shows that transparency alone won't stop big corporations from buying our elections.

We put together this chart make the point. If enough people understand why a "transparency-only" plan won't work, we can convince Congress to push for a stronger bill, like the Fair Elections Now Act. Click the buttons below to share this chart with your friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

Facebook

Twitter

Sources:

Summary of Van Hollen-Schumer proposal: "BREAKING: Congress's response to Citizens United," Fix Congress First, February 11, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87102
Data on total federal campaign spending: "The Money Behind the Elections," Center for Reponsive Politics, accessed March 19, 2010
http://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/index.php
Projected 2010 spending: "Midterm Elections Will Cost at Least $3.7 Billion, Center for Responsive Politics Estimates," Center for Responsive Politics, February 23, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87103
Open Secrets begins tracking political money online, 1996: "About the Site," Open Secrets, accessed March 19, 2010
http://www.opensecrets.org/about/tour.php
Reporting required for "soft" money, June 2000: "Clinton signs bill requiring groups to list donors," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 2, 2000
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87107
"I approve these message" ads appear, 2004: "'Tagline' could alter tone of ads," USA Today, March 10, 2004
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87108
New reporting for lobbying and earmarks, September 2007: "Bush Signs Reform Bill Pushed By Dems," Politico, September 14, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87109

Paid for by MoveOn.org Political Action, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

MoveOn.org Civic Action is a 501(c)(4) organization which primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on important national issues. MoveOn.org Political Action is a federal political committee which primarily helps members elect candidates who reflect our values through a variety of activities aimed at influencing the outcome of the next election. MoveOn.org Political Action and MoveOn.org Civic Action are separate organizations.