Are Presidentsworth $1?
By

(MONEY Magazine) – Since 1973, Americans have been faced with this question on their federal tax returns: Do you want $1 to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund? If you check off yes, $1 of the tax you already owe is sent to the government kitty that helps finance presidential election campaigns. Unfortunately, the percentage of filers supporting the checkoff has declined steadily since 1981, when 28.7% of them funneled in $41 million. Worse yet, the $1 has never been adjusted for inflation. As a result, the fund is sinking ever deeper into the red (see the chart). Unless Congress takes steps to bolster the fund, such as adjusting the $1 for inflation (it would have to go to $2.78 in 1991 to equal the value of 1973's dollar), the ideal of publicly funded presidential races could vanish.

CHART: NOT AVAILABLE CREDIT: Source: Federal Election Commission CAPTION: NO CAPTION