With the 2004 presidential campaigns gaining intensity, Democratic hopefuls are awaiting funding from the government for their hard work on the campaign trail. Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, two presidential hopefuls, however, chose not to accept the federal funds to show their commitment to campaign-finance reform.

Those who choose to participate in the public financing system for the primary elections will begin receiving aid from the federal government in January 2004.

Before the government issues the funds, it matches the initial $250 of every private contribution to the individual campaign made from January 2003 to November. But in order to receive public funding, a candidate must raise a minimum of $5,000 of donations of $250 or less from donors in at least 20 states. The candidate will then have a spending limit of $45 million.

The money contributed by the public finance system comes directly from the voters. Those who check a box on their electoral ballot are signifying that they would like to donate $3 of their income to public campaign finance. The system was instituted in 1976 when there was a large separation in campaign spending between the Republicans and Democrats.

Former President Richard Nixon, then a Republican candidate, was swimming in private donations while the Democratic candidates were deep in debt. This situation reflects heavily on the status of the current presidential campaign.

Today too the country is experiencing a financial imbalance between the two parties. Incumbent President Bush is campaigning with more than $106 million in funds while Democratic front-runners are scrambling for cash. Even with the increasing success of the government program, Democratic hopefuls are able to campaign on a closer level than before.

Wesley Clark and Joe Lieberman will receive the most federal funds and are expected to earn $3.7 and $3.6 million, respectively, in their first checks.

Such financial aid is enough to allow lagging candidates enough momentum to stay in the race when they would otherwise lose steam.

“Had the general entered the race with the other candidates, he may have forgone the program also, but due to his late entry, he needs as much help as he can get to stay in the race,” a Clark spokesperson said.

Primary frontrunner Dean has chosen to forgo his opportunity to participate in the program.

“In order to compete with Bush as best as possible, Gov. Dean can not afford to be [restricted] by a spending limit if the president is not also,” Dean spokesperson said.

According to the Dean campaign, the Vermont governor’s focus is on campaign-finance reform, and by not participating in the program, he aims to send the message that he is practicing this reform and not just talking about it.

Dean articulated that the prime reform is in the way he receives his contributions. He points out that unlike Bush, who receives large contributions from corporations, his campaign has received 200,000 contributions of an average of $77 per person.

The other Democratic candidate to reject the public financing is Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. He is refusing the funds because he feels that he has the ability to out-pace his competition.

All other candidates will receive their campaign money in January and in months following, depending on the resources of the system, which in the past have not withstood many months of full payments. In that case, the funds are matched at a lesser percentage.