D.C. A poll released today underscores the frustration voters feel about political campaigns and shows they believe negative personal campaigns are exacting a heavy ethical toll with serious consequences for politics and government.
Voters are eager to hold candidates individually responsible for their campaign behavior.
The poll indicates that voters are enthusiastic about campaign codes of conduct and think this potential new model for improving campaigns would make a difference. The Project on Campaign Conduct is undertaking codes of conduct initiatives in Ohio and Washington in anticipation of mounting a nationwide project in the year 2000. The Project is led by the Institute for Global Ethics in Camden, Maine and funded by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Institute participated in a similar, successful campaign code initiative in Maine in the 1996 election cycle. Campaign codes of conduct are sets of guiding principles and rules of engagement that candidates would abide by during the campaign.