Americans and polticians are concerned that our democracy is not properply working. The most important dictator is that americans are so apathetic and they do not vote. Voteer turnout went to a all time low in 1966. A quarter of americans believe that the government has no effect on their lives. Another 10% says they do not know if goverment has a positive or negative effect. The cost of political campaigns has dramatically increased since the past three decades. In the 1966 election, over $400 million was spent for advertising. Most observers increasingly high cost of political counterproduction. Only canidates who able to raise large amounts of money can run for office. The major role in elections played by expensive television advertising is believed to distort and cheapen the political discourse. The first major campaign enacted in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal. This legislation established strict disclosure requirements for donations. Some of this legislation was struck down by a Supreme Court decision in 1976. There were many proposal for political reform. Proposals were public finacing for campaigns, providing free or reduced cost media access, ban "leadership" pacs. Democrats have gfenerly supported campaign finance reform. Republicans tend to benifit more than Democrats from the financing system and are less interested in reform.
