NEW YORK -- Upward of $2 billion is changing hands in a presidential election year. A majority of Americans believe that elections are for sale and money is corrupting politics, undermining elections, and shutting citizens out of our democratic system.

Money & Politics: Who Owns Democracy?, a new National Issues Forum guide by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Public Agenda in collaboration with the Kettering Foundation, helps citizens understand the complexities of campaign finance reform and consider possible courses of action. Authored by distinguished journalist Michael deCourcy Hinds, Money & Politics can be a springboard to thoughtful debate among high school and college audiences, voters, candidates, and citizens across the political spectrum who are calling for a more responsive and effective political system. The study is excellent . . . gives a great overview and is very fair and balanced, says M. Dane Waters, President, Initiative and Referendum Institute, one of a panel of experts who reviewed the manuscript in order to ensure accuracy and fairness. Money & Politics offers an objective approach, fresh perspective, and 3 policy choices:

• Choice One: Should we reform the campaign fund-raising system? This could involve tightening laws which set the rules and contribution amounts. We might have to adopt a taxpayer financed system of publicly funded election campaigns. And a consequence of this approach might be that the public would foot the bill of fringe candidates.
• Choice Two: Should we restrict the power of lobbyists and politicians? We could ban lobbyists' gifts. We might also allow voters to recall elected officials and enact or repeal laws when politicians ignore the public will. We could require politicians and lobbyists to hold their meetings in public. But sharp restrictions on lobbyists would be difficult to enforce, and more ballot measures might put complex issues to up or down votes at the polls.
• Choice Three: Should we publicize all political donations but not regulate them? This might involve repealing all laws that restrict political contributions. We would encourage more investment in campaigns. We could enforce a requirement that all political donations be disclosed immediately. Unfortunately, this choice might fuel fund-raising competitions, giving the edge to candidates with the most wealthy connections.

Money & Politics helps readers weigh the pros and cons of different approaches, providing a crisp, engaging elementary resource on the sometimes confusing issues of campaign finance reform. The book is one of a series produced by Public Agenda for the National Issues Forums, a grassroots network of organizations that have convened policy discussions for citizens nationwide for over a decade.

Public Agenda Online: Campaign Finance In-Depth

Cited by Forbes as Best of the Web in Politics (August 31, 2000), Public Agenda Online (www.publicagenda.org) features select content from Money & Politics, as part of a new in-depth guide to campaign finance issues including extensive data, useful links to other relevant sites and information, and facts and figures on the subject. Public Agenda Online additionally features a special election edition of Clarifying Issues 2000, which is a concise primer to education, health care, social security, and other hot election subjects.

Public Agenda, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization, located in New York City, is well respected for its trustworthy public opinion polls and its balanced citizen education materials. Founded in 1975 by Cyrus R. Vance, the former U.S. Secretary of State, and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, its mission is to inform leaders about the public's views and to inform citizens about government policy.

The Kettering Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute based in Dayton, Ohio (with offices in Washington, D.C., and New York), was founded in 1927. It has provided books, materials, and moderator training for the National Issues Forums since this nationwide network was started in 1982. It is engaged in a wide range of activities to promote civic participation and enrich public life.

Money & Politics: Who Owns Democracy? by Michael deCourcy Hinds. Copyright 2000 by National Issues Forums Institute and Public Agenda. Produced by Public Agenda (www.publicagenda.org) and the Kettering Foundation (www.kettering.org) for National Issues Forums (www.nifi.org).

September 27, 2000 ISBN 0-7872-7401-1 28 pp. Illustrated. $5.50, plus shipping, handling, and applicable sales tax. Bulk rates available.
To order, please call Public Agenda at 212-686-6610, ext. 45, fax 212-889-3461, email cboyle@publicagenda.org, fill out our order form online at www.publicagenda.org, or order from Amazon.com