loquitur

Actually, Willravel, the more a government does, the more roles it is assigned, the more money you have it spend, the more likely it is to have issues of corruption. The more things the govt does, the more opportunities for corruption. The more things are regulated, the more need there is for exemptions and special allowances. And the more need there is for exemptions, the more chances there are that someone who gives them out can engage in what political scientists politely call "rent-seeking."

You'll never get rid of corruption totally, so long as there are bureaucrats in the world who have the power to refuse to affix their little rubber stamp to a piece of paper someone needs. But democracies are actually less susceptible to systemic corruption than monarchies or dictatorships because of accountability. That's why the Republicans were booted this past November: they were perceived as having abused their power in self-interest. And it's why the Dems were booted in 1994. It's also why some countries succeed and others don't - the countries that aren't systematically corrupt, have the rule of law and transparent institutions (these are all related to each other) do better that ones that still have systemic corruption. Part of the problem in Iraq is who gets to control the baksheesh. Part of the big problem in the PA is who gets to control the baksheesh. I could go on but I think you see the point.

The other thing is, we have a free market in ideas here in this country. The reason the Greens and Libertarians don't have the ability to raise money is because most normal people regard them as special pleaders or cranks. All public financing would achieve is create a lot of quixotic candidacies. Do you really think the country benefitted by giving Lyndon LaRouche large amounts of money in the last election cycle? Is the country better off because Dennis Kucinich got your tax money and mine? I see absolutely no reason to finance these people with tax money. If the Greens genuinely have something to say that normal mainstream Americans find appealing, they'll be able to raise money. And if they don't, we shouldn't be wasting our tax money on them.