Summary
Contents
Subject index
From the authors of Legislative Labyrinth: Congress and Campaign Finance Reform. Elections, the basic mechanism of representative democracy, should be untainted by corruption and provide a platform for free speech. But running for office takes money—a lot of it, usually—which means campaign finance has become a pitched battle over the fundamental political values of free speech versus fair elections. With insiders' perspectives, Farrar-Myers and Dwyre tell the story of what it took to pass campaign finance legislation, provide analysis of the subsequent court action, and explore the regulatory and electoral outcomes of reform efforts. Limits and Loopholes is a story about incremental policymaking and inter-branch struggle, about institutional design and unintended consequences, about the influence of interest groups and the media, and about the health of our representative democracy. Bringing together discussions of core values and the policymaking process, this book serves as an excellent case study that traces an issue from inception, through legislation and litigation, and finally to implementation.
Elections in the Post-BCRA World
Elections in the Post-BCRA World
Before and after passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), critics warned of its possible negative consequences: BCRA would weaken and undermine the political parties, favor one party over the other, reduce competition, suppress free speech, and strengthen special interest groups. Others voiced concern that BCRA did not go far enough, and that big money would find ways around the law and other routes to influence federal elections. Moreover, as with most new laws and particularly with this one, the lawmaking process does not end with congressional passage and presidential approval (as we saw in the last two chapters). Lastly, given the history of campaign finance reform, there is always the possibility that ...
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