Technology and Alternative Politics

Due in part to the recent controversy over spending in the Texas CD-10 race by Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik's campaign and the ongoing questions about where the $400,000+ that were spent actually went (more), TAP has seen the importance of accountability in campaigns. Accountability that becomes even more crucial for small parties and independent candidates who draw from smaller donor pools and are expected to maximize their ability to use those funds efficiently.

For these reasons, any tool that allows a candidate or campaign to give an immediate accounting of how much has been raised and how that money is being spent goes a long way towards reassuring donors and campaign finance watchers (including the media) that the money being donated is being used in the most efficient manner possible. By making all fund-raising and campaign spending transparent, not only does a candidate/campaign raise its credibility, it also gives its donors and activists a greater stake in the campaign which can translate into more volunteer hours and more donations.

Setting up such a recording system is a small matter for any experienced web designer. Two alternatives would be to simply link to the FEC or state recording site for that campaign (example). Alternatively, and arguably more effective, is to imbed a system in the campaign web site so that it can be accessed and updated in real time.