ABSTRACT
An emphasis on personal freedom to donate or spend as much as one wishes is bound to threaten broader values such as the effectiveness of Congress, representation, and legitimacy. Congressional campaign finance serves the electoral system which, in turn, yields a Congress that is part of democratic government in the United States. In selecting values and ordering them, it is crucial to bear in mind the hierarchy of levels within the political system and the need to distinguish among them. In the ideal world, each of the values we have been discussing would be maximized at the level of congressional activity, in general elections, during the recruitment and nomination process, and in the system of financing campaigns. Soft money and personal Political action committees raise accountability problems that deserve consideration. Personal Political action committees and contributions to other members from one’s campaign committee should be banned because of their adverse impact on legitimacy and accountability.
