Resources & Research

Prop. H Background Information

Proposition H (Democracy Dollars) Charter Amendment Text

Austin Charter Review Commission Final  Report to the City Council (May 7, 2018) (the Commission recommendation and analysis supporting Democracy Dollars).  

Austin 2020 Campaign Contribution Data by Industry

Local Leaders Supporting Investment in Democracy Dollars

Leland Beatty, Report to Austin Charter Review Commission on City of Austin Contributions to Political Candidates by Zip Code (January 5, 2017)

Leland Beatty, Updated Excel Charts on City of Austin Candidate Contribution Data by Zip Code for 2018 and 2020 cycles (March 2021). (This updated data shows the disproportionate amount of contributions from outside the district from wealthy donors.

Liberal and Conservative Support for Democracy Dollars

Bruce Ackerman and  Ian Ayres, Voting with Dollars: A New Paradigm for Campaign Finance (Yale University Press 2004)(legal and scholarly reasons to support Democracy Dollars)

Lawrence Lessig, Republic Lost: The Corruption of Equality and Steps to End It (Rev. 2015)(liberal case for Democracy Dollars and other reforms)

Richard Painter, Taxation Only With Representation: The Conservative Conscience and Campaign Finance Reform (2016)(conservative case for Democracy Dollar vouchers and campaign tax credits)

Richard Hansen, Clipping Coupons for Democracy: An Egalitarian/Public Choice Defense of Campaign Finance Vouchers, 84 Cal L. Rev. 1 (January 1996)(scholarly law review article explaining the policies supporting Democracy Dollars)

Studies on Democracy Dollars programs

Herrwig and McCabe, Expanding Participation in Municipal Elections: Assessing the Impact of Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program (University of Washington 2018)

Herrwig and McCabe, Building A More Diverse Donor Coalition (An Analysis of the Seattle Voucher Program in the 2019 Election Cycle (Georgetown University 2020)

Herrwig and McCabe, Diversifying the Donor Pool: How Did Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program Reshape Participation in Municipal Campaign Finance?, 18 Election Law Journal 323 (2019)

Seattle Ethics and Election Commission, Seattle Democracy Voucher Program 2017 Election Evaluation Final Report (BERK April 2018)

Seattle Ethics and Election Commission, Seattle Democracy Voucher Program: 2019 Election Cycle Evaluation (BERK July 2020)

Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, Democracy Voucher Program Biennial Report (2019)

Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, Democracy Voucher Program Biennial Report (2017)