Limiting an individual's total contribution to political campaigns could democratize campaign finance the same way one citizen, one vote democratizes the process.
How would it work? Use a special electronic currency, CF$. Citizens would have the right to purchase up to US$5,000 worth, to be stored on a smartcard. CF$ could be used only for a donation to a campaign for political office.
Make it illegal to donate in any other way. Design the system to be totally electronic and highly auditable. Citizens who couldn't afford to buy their entire CF$ allotment could sell the rest to their favorite causes. With such a CF$ futures market, we might lower the limit to, say, US$1,000.
Call it dollar democracy.
