Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Krack Korn
These are the questions I would like to see/hear answered...more than anything else.
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As a partial answer: public funding for political parties assures a baseline ability for all parties to participate in the democratic process. It's particularly crucial for the smallest parties which have less resources with which to fundraise, and ultimately allows them to participate and to contribute to our democracy.
Additionally, it prevents the wealthy from having a disproportionate say in the democratic process. Assuming that every voter votes with his or her own best interests in mind, one can assume that wealthy voters would vote for and contribute to parties which have policies favouring the wealthy. To borrow a figure from the US, 95% of the wealth lies in the hands of 5% of the population, so that 5% will be able to contribute more and exert a disproportionate influence on the democratic process for their own benefit. Public funding provides at least some safeguard against that, ensuring parties with support from lower income earners are able to make their voices heard, even if they can't afford to shout quite as loudly.