Public Backlash Fuels Bipartisan Push for Anti-Dark-Money Reforms, Poll Finds

The Brennan Center for Justice released a nationwide poll of 2,000 registered voters that measured attitudes toward a suite of anti-corruption proposals. Seventy-nine percent of respondents support a constitutional amendment to restore limits on money in elections, effectively overturning the 2010 *Citizens United* decision that permitted unlimited corporate spending. Eighty-five percent favor mandatory disclosure of all federal campaign contributions and expenditures, while 81 % endorse creating a new federal ethics enforcer. Sixty-nine percent back a constitutional amendment limiting the president’s pardon power.

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The *Citizens United* ruling opened the door to unlimited corporate and nonprofit spending in U.S. elections, a development commonly referred to as “dark money” because it can obscure the source of political funds. The Brennan Center’s poll gauges public reaction to proposals that would reverse that precedent and increase transparency in campaign finance.

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• Constitutional amendment on campaign spending: 79 % overall (84 % Democrats, 75 % Republicans).

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• Mandatory disclosure of federal campaign activity: 85 % overall (88 % Democrats, 85 % Republicans).

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• New federal ethics enforcer: 81 % overall.

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• Limiting presidential pardon power: 69 % overall; a majority of Republicans also favor this restriction despite lower enthusiasm for other presidential-power limits.

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• Congressional or state lawsuits over emoluments violations: A majority of Republicans support allowing such suits, though the poll does not give a precise percentage.

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Brennan Center President and CEO Michael Waldman highlighted the breadth of bipartisan appeal, noting that the poll “shows a set of proposals with a wider bipartisan appeal than most policy initiatives.” He emphasized that voters view corruption as a systemic failure that extends beyond super-PACs or isolated scandals, linking the desire for reform to broader concerns about housing affordability and government responsiveness. Waldman urged policymakers to recognize that the public’s conception of governmental dysfunction “goes far deeper than super PACs or White House ballrooms or even slush funds.”

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• “it's hard to find a set of proposals with a wider bipartisan appeal.” — Michael Waldman, President & CEO, Brennan Center for Justice

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• “Policymakers should understand that the public’s conception of what has gone wrong goes far deeper than super PACs or White House ballrooms or even slush funds,” — Michael Waldman, President & CEO, Brennan Center for Justice

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The poll indicates that a substantial majority of Americans, across party lines, demand structural changes to curb the influence of money in politics and to tighten presidential authority. Such widespread public backing could pressure Congress to consider legislative reforms, inspire advocacy for a constitutional amendment, or prompt the administration to propose new transparency rules. If translated into policy, the proposals would reshape campaign-finance architecture, increase accountability, and address voter concerns about the perceived misalignment between elected officials and everyday constituents.

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