Faculty Mentor
Dr. Amy Freedman
Major/Area of Research
International Studies
Description
The deregulation of campaign finance is responsible for an influx of money into the American election system. The flow of unregulated money in politics is damaging to the integrity of the United States government, but due to the encompassing nature of First Amendment rights, the path to reform is a convoluted one. Despite the obstacles, the need for reform is evident; there are vast amounts of money damaging American elections, and the consequences continue to grow. I suggest that reformists work together to build a case around the logic of electoral integrity, in the hope that it can persuade a more liberal Supreme Court in the future, to either reverse the citizens united decision or lay down further jurisprudence for regulation. With the recent death of Justice Scalia, the prospect of a more liberal Supreme Court is promising. Given this development, the need for further thought and investigation is required to identify the strongest approach to reform.
Included in
Campaign Finance Reform? Possibilities or Ripe Dreams?
The deregulation of campaign finance is responsible for an influx of money into the American election system. The flow of unregulated money in politics is damaging to the integrity of the United States government, but due to the encompassing nature of First Amendment rights, the path to reform is a convoluted one. Despite the obstacles, the need for reform is evident; there are vast amounts of money damaging American elections, and the consequences continue to grow. I suggest that reformists work together to build a case around the logic of electoral integrity, in the hope that it can persuade a more liberal Supreme Court in the future, to either reverse the citizens united decision or lay down further jurisprudence for regulation. With the recent death of Justice Scalia, the prospect of a more liberal Supreme Court is promising. Given this development, the need for further thought and investigation is required to identify the strongest approach to reform.