The States Of Campaign Finance Reform

Utilizing surveys, reports, and interviews, looks at the states to see how campaign finance reforms have worked out in fact, after organizations have had a chance to adapt to them.

An illuminating perspective on the polarizing effects of campaign finance reform

"Campaign finance reform has always been motivated by a definition of democracy that does not count corporations as citizens and holds that self-government works best by reducing political inequality. In the early years of the twentieth century, Congress recognized the strength of these principles by prohibiting corporations from making campaign contributions, passing a disclosure law, and setting limits on campaign expenditures. These reforms were not controversial at the time, but conservative opposition to them appeared in the 1970s. That opposition was well represented in the Supreme Court, which has rolled back reform by granting First Amendment rights to corporations and declaring the goal of reducing political inequality to be unconstitutional. Buying the Vote analyzes the rise and decline of campaign finance reform by tracking changes in the way presidential campaigns have been funded since the late nineteenth century, and changes in the debate over how to reform fundraising practices. A close examination of major Supreme Court decisions shows how the Court has fashioned a new and profoundly inegalitarian redefinition of American democracy"--

Money, Politics, and Campaign Finance Reform Law in the States presents an exciting examination of campaign finance reform and the role of money in state politics through the 2000 elections. Written by leading scholars on state politics and campaign finance reform, this book is the first to provide in-depth case studies that describe the reality of the impact money has on state politics; what efforts have been undertaken to regulate this money; and how successful the law has been in ensuring fair elections. Americans are deeply concerned about the role and impact of money upon politics and government. While numerous publications have documented Congressional efforts to enact campaign finance reform, this book puts the spotlight on state efforts to address the impact of money on politics. Money, Politics, and Campaign Finance Reform Law in the States offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of money and campaign finance reform at the state level on the market. Its findings will be invaluable to scholars, lawyers, legislators, and activists involved with campaign finance reform. "This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the direction of politics in Illinois and in other states." -- Illinois Issues, November 2002 "Schultz does an excellent job in the introductory chapter of explaining the four preeminent Supreme Court decisions that frame the current debate on campaign finance reform at the federal and state level... This book will be of interest to students not just of money and campaign finance reform, but also to those interested in state politics, interest groups, and political parties." -- Election Law Journal, 2003 "[T]his book makes an important -- perhaps even unique -- contribution to an area of study that has received much less attention than the federal system." -- Guardian (COGEL), Spring 2004

In the early 2000s, the United States and Canada implemented new campaign finance laws restricting the ability of interest groups to make political contributions and to engage in political advertising. Whereas both nations' legislative reforms sought to reduce the role of interest groups in campaigns, these laws have had opposite results in the two nations. In the United States, interest groups remained influential by developing broad coalitions aimed at mobilizing individual voters and contributors. In Canada, interest groups largely withdrew from election campaigns, and, thus, important voices in elections have gone silent. Robert G. Boatright explains such disparate results by placing campaign finance reforms in the context of ongoing political and technological changes. Robert G. Boatright is Associate Professor of Political Science at Clark University. Cover photo: © iStockphoto.com / alfabravoalpharomeo

At a time when campaign finance reform is widely viewed as synonymous with cleaning up Washington and promoting political equality, Bradley Smith, a nationally recognized expert on campaign finance reform, argues that all restriction on campaign giving should be eliminated. In Unfree Speech, he presents a bold, convincing argument for the repeal of laws that regulate political spending and contributions, contending that they violate the right to free speech and ultimately diminish citizens' power. Smith demonstrates that these laws, which often force ordinary people making modest contributions of cash or labor to register with the Federal Election Commission or various state agencies, fail to accomplish their stated objectives. In fact, they have worked to entrench incumbents in office, deaden campaign discourse, burden grassroots political activity with needless regulation, and distance Americans from an increasingly professional, detached political class. Rather than attempting to plug "loopholes" in campaign finance law or instituting taxpayer-financed campaigns, Smith proposes a return to core First Amendment values of free speech and an unfettered right to engage in political activity. Smith finds that campaign contributions have little corrupting effect on the legislature and shows that an unrestrained system of contributions and spending actually enhances equality. More money, not less, is needed in the political system, Smith concludes. Unfree Speech draws upon constitutional law and historical research to explain why campaign finance regulation is doomed and to illustrate the potentially drastic costs of efforts to make it succeed. Whatever one thinks about the impact of money on electoral politics, no one should take a final stand without reading Smith's controversial and important arguments.