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An Introduction to Federal Campaign Finance
Campaign finance plays a central role in the democratic process. Elections canât happen without campaigns, and â to state the obvious â running a campaign costs money. Lots of it. (Political campaigns at the state and federal levels have become much more expensive in recent years.) So where does all the money come from? It may be a daunting question, but itâs an important one to ask in our effort to become more informed citizens. The collection of laws that govern how campaigns are funded is often referred to as the campaign finance system. But in truth, âsystemâ may be a bit of a misnomer â at least if âsystemâ…
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A Deeper Dive: Citizens United, Super PACs, and Dark Money
In our introduction to federal campaign finance, we discussed the landmark Supreme Court case Citizens United v. FEC, which caused substantial waves in the world of campaign finance. Though it has now been more than 13 years since this case was decided, it is important to understand how this decision has influenced the topics and issues at play today. What was the case actually about? Citizens United is the name of a nonprofit organization that created a political documentary called “Hillary: The Movie.” This film was designed to criticize presidential candidate and then-Senator Hillary Clinton. It was scheduled to be released right before the Democratic primary elections in January 2008,…
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Navigating Political Ads: How to Be an Informed Citizen When Lying Is Legal
During election season, political advertisements seem to be everywhere we look. Though some of us may feel a fervent desire to ignore them, itâs not possible to completely escape their reach. Nor should we tune them out entirely, since they present opportunities to learn about candidates and hold our elected officials accountable. Political ads are clearly designed to influence us in a specific way (usually to convince us to vote for or against a certain candidate). The questions we should ask ourselves about the ads we see or hear include: Who is trying to influence us? (i.e., Who paid for this ad?) and, What is their objective? (i.e., What are…
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Official Statement on Moore v. Harper and Our Commitment to the Power of the Individual VoterÂ
Yesterday, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court protected the system of checks and balances that is foundational to our democracy. This ruling acknowledges the critical role state judiciaries play in upholding votersâ constitutional rights. It reinforces that the legislature cannot grant itself exclusive control over federal elections, especially at the expense of voters. As the members and leaders of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we are relieved that the court rejected the state legislatureâs claim to unchecked influence over federal elections. In Moore v. Harper, the Court relied on 200 years of precedent, determining that state legislatures do not have sole authority over federal elections. Instead, they are subject…
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Electoral Count Reform Act Advocacy â a Timeline
MWEG began working on advocating for an update to the Electoral Count Act in the summer of 2021 and continued working on this until the Electoral Count Reform Act was passed as part of the omnibus spending bill in December 2022. Following our pattern of member engagement, we worked to inform through library pieces and other content, invite to act through direct calls to action to write letters or make phone calls, and involve through constituent meetings with legislators as well as op-eds and letters to the editor. 2021 July Began laying the groundwork by researching the issue and reaching out to key legislators and coalition organizations October Began initial…
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Official Statement on the Peaceful Execution of the 2022 Midterm Elections
As principled voters and engaged citizens, members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) are actively praying and diligently working to ensure a peaceful election this midterm season. We continue to assert that every eligible voter has a right to participate in our democracy, and we encourage our members to be informed, to be principled, and âto exercise this precious and hard-won right with a measure of responsibility and compassion.â We are women of faith who know that â[t]he freedom to vote is a clear political manifestation of the individual worth of souls.â Recognizing this worth, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we are compelled to protect their votes. MWEGâs…
