Candidates who conduct their campaigns in a fair, respectful and ethical manner will foster trust and restore faith in that process. Unfortunately, they have declined in recent years, in part because of increasingly negative campaigns that have contributed to public cynicism about the political process. This poll demonstrates that even donors, who are more engaged in campaigns that the average citizen, are concerned about this development. Hold a far different view from the public on the trustworthiness of elected officials. Agree with the public that is unfair to criticize an opponent about their personal lives.
Donors feel far stronger about the involvement of an independent group than the public.
They see criticisms based on voting record and not sticking to articulated positions as fair game in a campaign. But, like the public as a whole, they disdain personal attacks. By the same token, donors are more likely to act punitively when they feel a politician has let them down. The Project on Campaign Conduct was organized by IGE in 1998 as an effort to develop campaign codes of conduct governing campaign practices and behavior for federal and statewide elections in Ohio and Washington states. Funded by grants from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, IGE is mounting a similar effort this year.