▁hours ▁each ▁day ▁on ▁the ▁phone ▁" d ial ing ▁for ▁dollars " ▁or ▁att ending ▁fund rais ers . ▁In ▁this ▁respect , ▁Dem ocracy ▁Mat ters ▁has ▁been ▁very ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁fight ▁for ▁public ▁finan cing ▁of ▁elections ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁state . ▁ ▁Rest ore ▁Dem ocracy ▁Fellow ship ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁Dem ocracy ▁Mat ters ▁started ▁a ▁new ▁program ▁entitled ▁" Rest ore ▁Dem ocracy " ▁focused ▁on ▁making ▁campaign ▁fin ance ▁an ▁issue ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁president ial ▁elections . ▁The ▁organization ▁fund ed ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁summer ▁intern s ▁to ▁travel ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁primary ▁states , ▁Iowa ▁and ▁New ▁Ham pshire . ▁These ▁intern s ▁were ▁task ed ▁with ▁att ending ▁president ial ▁candidates ' ▁events ▁to ▁ask ▁them ▁questions ▁about ▁where ▁they ▁stood ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁public ▁finan cing ▁and ▁campaign ▁fin ance ▁reform ▁more ▁broad ly ; ▁building ▁new ▁chap ters ▁at ▁large ▁univers ities ▁in ▁the ▁respective ▁states ▁to ▁create ▁pressure ▁once ▁the ▁school ▁year ▁began ; ▁and ▁creating ▁coal itions ▁with ▁local ▁leaders ▁towards ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁building ▁student - ad ult ▁groups ▁for ▁reform . ▁The ▁organization ▁also ▁attempted ▁to ▁get ▁president ial ▁candidates ▁to ▁sign ▁the ▁" Rest ore ▁Dem ocracy " ▁p ledge ▁card , ▁which ▁read ▁" I ▁support ▁rest oring ▁dem ocracy ▁by ▁public ly ▁finan cing ▁elections ▁and ▁taking ▁big ▁money ▁out ▁of ▁politics .” ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁this