Alternatives to Big Money in Politics

The law of campaign financing is complex, with constant development in case law and reform ideas. Especially since the 2010 Citizens United decision, states and cities have begun to experiment with new rules aimed at encouraging small donors to participate, disclosing the sources of independent spending, and reducing the influence of the biggest spenders. Some reforms have been quite successful, while others have failed to achieve their goals for a variety of reasons.

Brent Ferguson, Counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice, provides a short introduction to the constitutional and statutory parameters of campaign finance law, and focuses on emerging state and local reforms. He also reviews national and local advocacy and legislative strategies being proposed as alternatives to big spending in politics. He addresses the constitutionality of these reforms, their strengths and weaknesses, and discusses likely areas for future reforms. 

Learning Objectives:

I.     Understand the constitutional and statutory parameters of campaign finance law

II.    Gain an overview of state and local reforms that aim to reduce the influence of big spending in politics

III.   Learn about other reforms being proposed as alternatives to big spending in politics

IV.   Recognize likely areas for future campaign finance reforms