Inside the campaign finance battle : court testimony on the new reforms / Anthony Corrado, Thomas E. Mann, and Trevor Potter, Editors.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Corrado, Anthony, 1957-

Potter, Trevor.

Mann, Thomas E.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Campaign funds--Law and legislation--United States.

Campaign funds.

Campaign funds--Law and legislation.

United States.

Campaign funds--United States.

Physical Description:

x, 333 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : Brookings Institution Press, [2003]

Summary:

In 2002 Congress enacted the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), the first major revision of federal campaign finance law in a generation. In March 2001, after a fiercely contested and highly divisive seven-year partisan legislative battle, the Senate passed S. 27, known as the McCain-Feingold legislation. The House responded by passing H.R. 2356, companion legislation known as Shays-Meehan, in February 2002. The Senate then approved the House-passed version, and President George W. Bush signed BCRA into law on March 27, 2002, stating that the bill had "flaws" but overall "improves the current system of financing for federal campaigns." The Reform Act was taken to court within hours of the president's signature. Dozens of interest groups and lawmakers who had opposed passage of the act in Congress lodged complaints that challenged the constitutionality of virtually every aspect of the new law. Following review by a special three-judge panel, the case is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003.

This litigation constitutes the most important campaign finance case since the Supreme Court issued its decision in Buckley v. Valeo more than twenty-five years ago. The testimony, submitted by some of the country's most knowledgeable political scientists and most experienced politicians, constitutes an invaluable body of knowledge about the complexities of campaign finance and the role of money in our political system. Unfortunately, only the lawyers, political scientists, and practitioners actually involved in the litigation have seen most of this writing -- until now. Inside the Campaign Finance Battle makes key testimony in this historic case available to a general readership, in the process shedding new light on campaign finance practices central to the congressional debate on the reform act and to the landmark litigation challenging its constitutionality.

Contents:

The rise of soft money / Thomas E. Mann

Parties versus interest groups / Sydney M. Milkis

Why soft money has not strengthened parties / Jonathan S. Krasno and Frank Sorauf

Why soft money has strengthened parties / Raymon J. La Raja

The need for federal regulation of state party activity / Donald Green

A Senate Democrat's perspective / David Boren

A Senate Republicans perspective / Alan K. Simpson

Mobilizing voters: the coordinated campaign / Gail Stolz

State party activity and the BCRA / Kathleen Bowler

State party activity under the Levin Admendment / Mark Brewer

Role of federal officials in state pary fund-raising / Mitch McConnell

Party and interest group electioneering in federal elections / David B. Magleby

Electioneering communications in recent elections : the case for a new standard / Kenneth M. Goldstein

Issue advocacy and the integrity of the political process / Jonathan Krasno and Frank J. Sorauf

Rebuttal to the expert reports of Kenneth M. Goldstein and Jonathan S. Krasno and Frank J. Sorauf / James L. Gibson

Rebuttal to Gibson / Jonathan S. Krasno

The National Association of Manufacturers' advertising helps lobby Congress / Paul R. Huard

Why the Chamber of Commerce runs issue ads / R. Bruce Josten

How the Reform Act adversely affects the the Associated Builders and Contractors / Edward L. Monroe

A practitioner looks at how issue groups select and

target federal candidates / Rocky Pennington

How issue ads are designed to target federal candidates without 'express advocacy" / Douglas L. Bailey

A consultant's view on how issue ads shaped a Congressional election / Terry S. Beckett

Public attitudes toward campaign finance practice and reform / Robert Y. Shapiro

Public views of party soft money / Mark Mellman and Richard Wirthlin

The Reform Act will not reduce the appearance of corruption in American politics / Whitfield Ayres

Rebuttal to Ayres / Robert Y. Shapiro

Campaign contributions, the appearance of corruption, and trust in government / David M. Primo

Large contributions provide unequal access / Robert Rozen

Corporate America contributes soft money under pressure / Gerald Greenwald

Large contributions are given to influence legislation / Robert W. Hickmott

Elected officials often used to obtain large donations for the parties / Wade Randlett

Why I participate in a corrupt system / Peter L. Buttenwieser

How my soft money contributions have helped elect good federal candidates / Steven T. Kirsch

How the Senate was corrupted by soft money / Paul Simon

Consequences of members soliciting soft money / Warren Rudman

A cosponsor's prespective : why I don't raise soft money for the party / Christopher Shays

Congress is mired in corrupt soft money / John McCain

Parties support members who fund-raise / Dale Bumpers

Corruption is not an issue in American politics / Mitch McConnell

Parties undermined by soft money / Donald Fowler

Parties weakened by appearance of corruption / William E. Brock

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0815715838

OCLC:

52110394