There is no democratic politics without money, but money in excess can erode democratic politics. This principle underlines campaign finance regulation, a problematic issue for all democracies, developing and developed alike. In their new book, The Cost of Democracy: Essays on Political Finance in Latin America, Kevin Casas-Zamora and Daniel Zovatto document various experiences on campaign finance across the Americas. In doing so, they identify key lessons from regulation and offer clear recommendations for reform. 

Speaker Profiles

Kevin Casas-Zamora is senior fellow and director of the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program at the Inter-American Dialogue, as well as former vice president of Costa Rica. Daniel Zovatto is regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). Ellen Weintraub is the longest-serving commissioner on the the six member US Federal Elections Commission, serving since 2002. Francisco Guerrero has served as secretary for strengthening democracy at the Organization of American States since 2015.