▁to ▁other ▁important ▁issues ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁environment , ▁civil ▁rights , ▁foreign ▁policy , ▁and ▁rising ▁college ▁tu ition . ▁Dem ocracy ▁Mat ters ▁and ▁its ▁students ▁aim ▁to ▁show ▁that ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁campaign ▁fin ance ▁is ▁an ▁inter dis cipl inary ▁one , ▁which ▁impact s ▁all ▁people ▁interested ▁in ▁social ▁justice ▁issues . ▁ ▁Dem ocracy ▁Mat ters ' ▁official ▁position ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁how ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁US ▁campaign ▁fin ance ▁system ▁is ▁through ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁an ▁opt - in ▁public ▁finan cing ▁system ▁for ▁national ▁and ▁state wide ▁campaign s . ▁Public ▁finan cing ▁of ▁election ▁campaign s , ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁successful ▁state ▁systems ▁in ▁Maine , ▁Arizona ▁and ▁Connecticut ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁" V oter / C it izen - O wn ed ▁E lections ," ▁or ▁" F air ▁E lections " ▁provide ▁an ▁alternative ▁for ▁a ▁candidate ▁to ▁be ▁public ly ▁fund ed ▁if ▁she / he ▁ref uses ▁to ▁accept ▁private ▁don ations ▁from ▁individuals ▁or ▁groups . ▁This ▁allows ▁ordinary ▁citizens , ▁who ▁lack ▁the ▁fis cal ▁means , ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁office . ▁It ▁means ▁that ▁candidates ▁can ▁spend ▁time ▁talking ▁with ▁all ▁vot ers , ▁not ▁just ▁their ▁big ▁don ors . ▁And ▁once ▁elected , ▁these ▁public ly ▁fin anced ▁polit icians ▁are ▁account able ▁to ▁their ▁constitu ents ▁rather ▁than ▁to ▁campaign ▁contrib utors . ▁Furthermore , ▁they ▁can ▁use ▁their ▁time ▁working ▁on ▁issues ▁important ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁they ▁represent ▁rather ▁than ▁sp ending ▁many