Campaign Finance Institute
Encyclopedia
The Campaign Finance Institute, affiliated with George Washington University
, is a non-partisan, non-profit institute that conducts objective research
and education
, empanels task forces and makes recommendations for policy change in the field of campaign finance
in the United States
.
Michael J. Malbin
Michael Malbin is a founder and the Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Institute. He is also a Professor of Political Science at the State University of New York at Albany. One of the country's leading scholars in this field, Malbin has been writing extensively about money and politics for more than three decades. Some of his co-authored books include: The Election After Reform: Money, Politics and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act; The Day After Reform: Sobering Campaign Finance Lessons from the American States and Vital Statistics on Congress. He has also been a reporter for National Journal, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
, guest scholar at the Brookings Institution
, Associate Director of the House Republican Conference, Speechwriter to the Secretary of Defense, and a member of the National Humanities Council.
. He has taught at Fordham University
, University of Texas at Dallas
and Howard University
. He spent 12 years at the House of Representatives Foreign Affair's Committee's Subcommittee on Africa
and was Staff Director for five years. Now at CFI, Mr. Weissman does extensive research on Electronic Disclosure in the Senate, Bundling, and 527s and various 501 (c)s.
The Campaign Finance Institute also works with a number of Academic Advisors. These advisors contribute in various research projects and papers many of which can be found at www.cfinst.org
CFI Participation Project: Strengthening Democracy Through Volunteers and Small Donors,
The research being done in this project stems from a simple question.Would it not be useful to focus on strengthening participation by those who do not now give and to pursue equality through empowering those who do not usually participate as opposed to squeezing from the top? From this question has sprung the Small Donor Project and CFI's Donor Studies. The Small Donor Project looks at seven study states which are PA,OH, NY, CT, AZ,CO, IA, MN,and NV. CFI administered surveys of donors, non-donors and candidates. The initial findings were presented at the APSA Conference in August 2007. The paper that was presented focused on the preliminary results of the candidate surveys. CFI will be presenting preliminary results of the donor and non-donor surveys at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting in April.
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, is a non-partisan, non-profit institute that conducts objective research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, empanels task forces and makes recommendations for policy change in the field of campaign finance
Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Michael J. MalbinMichael J. MalbinMichael J. Malbin is the executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute in Washington DC, which he helped found in 1999, and professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, The State University of New York...
, Executive Director
Michael Malbin is a founder and the Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Institute. He is also a Professor of Political Science at the State University of New York at Albany. One of the country's leading scholars in this field, Malbin has been writing extensively about money and politics for more than three decades. Some of his co-authored books include: The Election After Reform: Money, Politics and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act; The Day After Reform: Sobering Campaign Finance Lessons from the American States and Vital Statistics on Congress. He has also been a reporter for National Journal, resident fellow at the American Enterprise InstituteAmerican Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
, guest scholar at the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
, Associate Director of the House Republican Conference, Speechwriter to the Secretary of Defense, and a member of the National Humanities Council.
Steve Weissman, Associate Director for Policy
Before joining CFI, Steve Weissman spent four and half years as a Legislative Representative at Public CitizenPublic Citizen
Public Citizen is a non-profit, consumer rights advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a branch in Austin, Texas. Public Citizen was founded by Ralph Nader in 1971, headed for 26 years by Joan Claybrook, and is now headed by Robert Weissman.-Lobbying Efforts:Public Citizen...
. He has taught at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
and Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
. He spent 12 years at the House of Representatives Foreign Affair's Committee's Subcommittee on Africa
United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights is a subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:...
and was Staff Director for five years. Now at CFI, Mr. Weissman does extensive research on Electronic Disclosure in the Senate, Bundling, and 527s and various 501 (c)s.
Wesley Joe, Research Scholar/ Policy Analyst
Wesley Joe has published several articles and book chapters on major individual contributors to Congressional Campaigns, the efficacy of campaign finance regulations and other topics. Wesley Joe has been working on the Small Donor project and donor studies.Board of Trustees
- F. Christopher Arterton
- Betsey Bayless
- Jeffrey Bell
- David Cohen
- Anthony Corrado, Chairman
- Vic Fazio
- Bob Franks
- Donald J. Foley
- George B. Gould
- Kenneth A. Gross
- Ruth S. Jones
- Ronald D. Michaelson
- Ross Clayton Mulford
- Phil Noble
- Jeanne Olson
- Michael J. Malbin
The Campaign Finance Institute also works with a number of Academic Advisors. These advisors contribute in various research projects and papers many of which can be found at www.cfinst.org
"The Campaign Finance Institute has received generous support from the Joyce Foundation, JEHT Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Stuart Family Foundation and The Smith Richardson Foundation, Inc."
Projects
Current projects at CFI include the CFI Participation Project: Strengthening Democracy Through Volunteers and Small Donors, post-Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act studies, and Soft Money in Elections.CFI Participation Project: Strengthening Democracy Through Volunteers and Small Donors,
The research being done in this project stems from a simple question.Would it not be useful to focus on strengthening participation by those who do not now give and to pursue equality through empowering those who do not usually participate as opposed to squeezing from the top? From this question has sprung the Small Donor Project and CFI's Donor Studies. The Small Donor Project looks at seven study states which are PA,OH, NY, CT, AZ,CO, IA, MN,and NV. CFI administered surveys of donors, non-donors and candidates. The initial findings were presented at the APSA Conference in August 2007. The paper that was presented focused on the preliminary results of the candidate surveys. CFI will be presenting preliminary results of the donor and non-donor surveys at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting in April.