Motives for regulating
political finance may vary considerably and with them also the focus of the
regulations. At least four different motivations can be identified: preventing
abuse; enhancing fair political competition; empowering voters; and strengthening
parties as effective democratic actors.
Preventing financial and
electoral process abuse is the driving force behind legal regulations such as
limits on donations and prohibitions on sources of funds. The risk of political
corruption and the distorting effects money can have on politics can be limited
with this kind of regulation.
Enhancing fair political
competition and levelling the playing field can be done by providing political
parties with public funds, using positive action to enhance representation of
under-represented groups, or by putting a ceiling on election expenditure.
Empowering voters can also
be done through legislation. Requiring public disclosure of party income and
expenditure gives voters a chance to know who is supporting which parties or
candidates and to decide for themselves which sources of funding they find
acceptable, and vote accordingly.
Strengthening political
parties is often the most difficult goal to meet. Countries can help foster
strong and democratic political parties with strong links to their members by
providing matching grants for donations, giving extra funds for training and
development, and in general providing legislation that is coherent and
functioning.
The financial regulation of
political parties and candidates is an area in which enforceability is critical
to the credibility of the effort to control political corruption. In general,
legislation that cannot be enforced should not be enacted. It is good practice
to draft laws with their implementation in mind, also looking at the resources
available to the body that will monitor and enforce the laws.
