When filling out my US federal tax return, I do not check the boxes to support the
Presidential Election Campaign. For those of you not familiar with US tax forms, there are two check boxes near the top of the form with instructions that say, "Check here if you, or your spouse if filing jointly, want $3 to go to this fund. Checking a box below will not change your tax or refund."
What is the Presidential Election Campaign fund? If you consult the detailed instructions for filling out the 1040 form, you will find this so-called explanation:
This fund helps pay for Presidential election campaigns. The fund reduces candidates' dependence on large contributions from individuals and groups and places candidates on an equal financial footing in the general election. If you want $3 to go to this fund, check the box. If you are filing a joint return, your spouse also can have $3 go to the fund. If you check a box, your tax or refund will not change.
Ignoring for the moment that most of this is not and cannot possibly be true, it sounds like a really good idea. So, why dont I just check the box, feel all smug and self-righteous about it, and move on?
Well, it's not that I'm stingy (I am); or don't trust the government to wisely spend my money (I don't); or that I'm offended by the implication that putting $3 into this fund does not cost taxpayers anything (I am); or that I'm against campaign finance reform (I'm not).
It's mostly that I don't understand how this fund would work. There are certainly
rules written about who qualifies as a "candidate" eligible to receive money, what they can spend it on, whether they are a member of a major, minor, or new political party, and therefore how much money they would receive. But reading these rules, it is obvious that the whole system favors the incumbents who are members of major parties.
Not surprisingly, many candidates of major parties do not qualify for these funds, since their campaign must limit their total spending to just over $20M.
So, from what I can tell, checking this box does not mean that I am "leveling the playing field" between major, minor, and new party candidates, or reducing the influence of large donors or groups (except on new and small parties who wish to receive funds). What it seems to do is limit the spending of new and minor parties who wish to receive funds, so that the major well-funded parties can go on spending as much as they want.
