Marc Caplan of the Piper Fund has watched Clean Elections efforts blossom at the state level for many years and in this article for The American Prospect he describes these state efforts as a welcome counterpoint to the naysaying about the presidential public financing system.Clean Elections efforts are stronger than they've ever been, fueled as much by scandal and outrage as by the promise of change and a political climate receptive to the idea.  Over the last 18 months, the 15-year movement for public financing of elections has expanded on a scale that was unimaginable just a short while ago. At least 25 states are advancing significant policy reforms or implementing new public-financing programs, which provide public funding for qualified political campaigns that have met established thresholds for public support. (Public funding may come either in the form of matching grants for small donor contributions or full funding, often known as Clean Elections, at a level competitive with private campaigns.) And at the federal level, a broad coalition headed by Public Campaign, Common Cause, and Public Citizen is leading an impressive congressional public-financing campaign with bipartisan support. Caplan discusses the many factors he sees feeding this unprecedented enthusiasm for Clean Elections in which state and national efforts complement and provide momentum for one another.