Passed in 2002, the McCain-Feingold Act regulates federal elections by prohibiting national political parties from accepting soft money contributions from corporations, labor unions, and wealthy individuals. The law was a bipartisan effort, one widely hailed by the media, and seemingly noble in purpose. But it has been surrounded by controversy since its inception.
This impassioned book, by the director of the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute in Washington DC, argues that measures like McCain-Feingold are a violation of the First Amendment and detrimental to our democracy. According to John Samples, campaign finance reform is based on specious ideas with little basis in fact. There is no proof, for instance, that campaign contributions really influence members of Congress. And our most common concerns about big money in politics are misplaced because the ideas implicit in our notion of corruption are incoherent and indefensible.
Defying long-held assumptions and conventional political wisdom, The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform is a provocative work that will be essential for anyone concerned about the future of American government—especially in this heated election year.
Read the press release. Read an excerpt.