Campaign Finance Reform
The issue of campaign finance reform has been around for many years. It has significantly deterred many qualified people from participating in politics because they feel like they have no way to be heard in a system, which is driven by big dollar contributions. Campaign finance is a confusing topic in many ways. But it is money, which, arguably, determines the very basics of our democracy: Who runs, who wins, and how they govern. This is why this issue is so important in our political systems. This topic has been of controversy for some time now and was noticed in the early 1970's. Since then Congress has established regulations limiting the amount of money Congress members and Presidential candidates can receive from single donors. This is regardless of whether they are corporations, organizations or individuals. However, politicians and parties soon found tricks to outwit these restrictions. There have been several attempts to rid the system of such an image. Multiple proposals have previously been considered, and others are currently being considered. The pros and cons of each must be carefully weighed before coming to a policy decision. Therefore the need of a solution to campaign finance reform has been a great
obstacle. This paper will show that indeed stricter laws are required and should be enforced, but also that if stricter laws are established big money will still find its way into the hands of politicians no matter what restrictions are established. Money is important to the political system and elections. Therefore, there must be rules and regulations that make the playing field fair and that should be done through campaign finance reform legislation. Current debate on campaign financing revolves around the Shays-Meehan Bill. The Senate would ban soft money - "the unlimited contributions that unions, corporations, and individuals can donate to political parties for party building and promoting voter interest"( As seen from the contents of this paper the controversial issues of campaign finance are followed by many obstacles and loopholes. The best policy that can be used at the present time to control the over played use of money in the political system is the Shays- Meehan Bill. This bill uses a combination of factors that are intended to make the political arena establish equilibrium. As for any bill it is not favored by everyone. Though in comparison to other bills The Shays- Meehan Bill seems to show the most potential in providing somewhat of a solution to the issues of campaign finance reform. Though another major factor that needs to be considered when thinking of this topic is that there are indeed going to be ways of getting around almost any restrictions placed on the use of money in the political system. This is just a factor that needs to be realized when dealing with a policy. No policy will be one hundred percent effective in deterring campaign finance due to the loopholes that big business and corporations are finding daily. The Senate would also limit unions, corporations, and independent groups broadcasting of political advertising close to a primary or general election. However, the House views the soft money ban as a violation of free speech rights and backs an alternative bill offered by Bob
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Approximate Word count = 1383
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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