$116 Million Raised for Upcoming California Elections, Is this Good or Bad?

Filed Under Election 2005

Today, the Los Angeles Times reported that over $116 million dollars has been raised for the upcoming 2005 and 2006 elections in California.

An interesting point was brought forward within the article is that elections seem to be occurring with greater frequency in California and voters don’t necessarily appreciate it.

The campaign reports come as opinion polls show that voters are skeptical of the need for a special election and question the wisdom of the measures on the ballot. But donors appear undeterred, giving an average of more than $540,000 a day to various causes.

“All the inside players view this as a life-or-death battle, but the average person is really sick of it,” said Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics at Cal State Sacramento.

“And they’re tired of relegating government to the election box. They don’t want to have to do this.”

California is inching closer and closer towards a real democracy; a democracy where each person has an opportunity to vote on each piece of legislation. But what is the cost? Apparently the cost is reduced voter confidence in state government and its leaders.

But there are benefits as well.

I believe, on balance, it’s more beneficial because the electorate is inevitably becoming more informed about the political process. As the electorate better understands government, it’s institutions, actors and how each interacts, a person is better able to critique it and recognize the deficiencies. In turn, a person is able to propose solutions to increasing the efficiency of government.

So, what can we expect as November 8th approaches? We can expect more political activity, media coverage and participation. Stay tuned!