MarioGalli

English1102
05/13/16

CampaignFinanceReform
MoneyhasplayedaroleinAmericanpoliticsforthecountry'sentireexistence.The
worldisprogressingatastonishinglevelsandthewaytheUnitedStatesruntheirelections
shouldalongwithit.Withnewandinventivewaystoreceivemoneyforapoliticalcampaigns
therulesshouldchange.ThetermOnecitizenonevoicebecomesmuddierandmuddierasthe
wealthgapincreasesinAmerica.WithspecialinterestgroupsandpeopleliketheKochbrothers
itseemsthatthemoremoneyinone'sbankaccount,themorepowerandsaytheyhave.

BarackObamaraisedaquarterofabilliondollarsin2008.Onlyhalffrompeoplewho
gavelessthan200(CNNMoney).Thatstatisticimmediatelyshowsthatthereisnotasystem
whereeverythingisfairwhenitcomestodonations.Withthatbeingsaidthereisregulations
thattryanddefeatthistrend.Thebigproblembeingthegiantloopholes.ThemoneyfromSuper
Pacsoftengoestoshadowcampaignswhofundaddsandflyersandrobocalls.Pacs,SuperPacs,
(PoliticalActionCommittee)
527s(Whicharegroupsthataretaxexempted),501c4s(Tax
exemptedsocialwelfaregroups),JointFundraisingCommitteesallfundthesecampaigns.
(CNNMoney).Thesesuperpacsareinterestgroupsthatgettogetherandsupportacandidate.
Theresupportcomeswithaprice.Itisveryhardtobelievethatpeopledonotwantanythingin
returnforthemoneytheydonate.Oddsareoutofallthedifferentcompaniesandrichpeople
whodonatetocertaincampaigns,atleastsomeofthemhavealternativemotives.
Theperfectexampletousewhentalkingaboutpeople'sheavyinvolvementinAmerican
politicsaretheKochBrothers.TheKochBrothersarebothworth45billiondollars.(Meyer,
Jane).WithnetworthsattheseastonishingnumbersthereisnoquestioningtheKochbrothersare
welloff.Itiswhattheyaredoingwiththatmoneythatisratherworrisome.Theywantto

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deregulatebigbusinesses.(Meyer,Jane).Itisnocoincidencethatpeoplewhoownabig
businesswouldwanttoderegulatebigbusinesses.Thatiswhatthrowsthesystemoff.Everyone
hastheirviewsofhowAmericashouldbebutthosewithmoremoneyareabletoswaythings
intotheirfavor.TheKochbrothershavefoundabackdoorwaytomakechanges.DavidKoch
triedrunningforofficehimself.(Meyer,Jane).Thisfactshowsmanythings.Forone,
AmericansrejectedtheideaofaKochbrothermakingdecisionspreviously.Whenthepeople
speakanddecidetheydonotwantapersoninvolvedingovernmentthatshouldsaysomething.
However,inthecurrentsystemhavingmoremoneygrantsonemorepowerthatcanhelponeget
themselvesinvolvedinthesystemwithoutbeingwanted.Also,ittellsustechnicallyAmericano
longermeetsthestandarddefinitionofdemocracy.Thisdefinitionis
asystemofgovernmentin
whichpowerisvestedinthepeople,whoruleeitherdirectlyorthroughfreelyelected
representatives.Withbigmoneybeingthrownintotheseracesittakesawayorattheveryleast
watersdowntheideaofthepowerbeingvestedcompletelyinthepeople.Thepeoplehave
spokenandtheyprefernothavingtheKochbrothersmakedecisions.Itisalsoheavilyreported
thattheKochbrothershavenotyetthrownmoneyintothe2016Presidentialcampaign.Jane
Meyer,authorofDarkMoneysays,TheKochbrothersarewaitingtospend800milliondollars
inthegeneralelectionagainstHillaryClinton.WhetheronesupportsHillaryornotthisbrings
upalegitimatemoralquestion.Isitokaytogivesomeonesuchanadvantage?Theanswertothis
lieswiththeindividualbutbringsupaninterestingdebate.
Thereareplentyofwaystosuccessfullychangethecurrentsystem.Twentyfouryearold
congressionalcandidateAlexLawfromNewJerseygivessomeexamplesinhisarticleforthe
HuffingtonPost
from2015.Lawsays,SincetheCitizensUnitedSupremeCourtcasein2007,

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wehaveseensomeoftheleastproductiveCongresssessionsinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.
CitizensUnitediswheremostoftheproblemswiththecampaignfinancesystemstemfrom.
CitizensUnitedisasuperpacthatwasfoundedin1988.BigdonorsofCitizensUnitedinclude
thepreviouslymentionedKochbrothers.PuttingbigmoneyintopoliticsforyearsCitizens
Unitedwerebroughttotrialin2010thatmadeitswaytothesupremecourt.Thecourtruled54
infavorofCitizensUnitedsettingaprecedentthatindependentgroupsshouldnotberestricted
whenitcomestomoneydonated.Thisrulingwouldbeveryhardtoreverse.AlexLawsitesthat
goingthroughCongressistheonlytrueoptionsayingTheConstitutionprovidesthatan
amendmentmaybeproposedeitherbyCongresswithatwothirdsmajorityvoteinboththe
HouseandSenateorbyaconstitutionalconventioncalledforbytwothirdsoftheState
legislatures.

Thisshowsaclearpathtowardschangingthelaw.Theonlyproblemwouldbethat
thepeopleoccupyingthoseseatsaretheonesbeingfunded.Lawgoesontolistsomewaysto
changesaidlawincluding,Wegetloudaboutwantingchange,Itisalreadyabipartisanissue
thatsomeparticularlymorallycourageousRepresentativesandSenatorsagreewithfromboth
parties,butweneedtoconvinceamajority.TherearewonderfulgroupslikeRepresent.usdoing
impressivegrassrootsworktowardsthisend.Itisallaboutusingthevoiceofthepeople.Itis
theonlywaytoigniterealchange.HistoricallyAmericanshavestoodupwhentheyseewrong
doingandfixedit.Thiscouldbetheactthatdefinesageneration.Itallstartswithawareness.In
asurveyIdidonsurveymonkey.com100%*ofthepeoplewhoansweredhadnoideawhothe
Kochbrothersevenwere.Ihaveafeelingthatwithmorepublicattentionthisachangethatcan
actuallybemade.

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VicePresidentoftheCollegeofDupagelibertarianclubPatrickWoolhaddifferent
viewsofthesubjectthanexpected.Patrickhasbeenveryinvolvedwithpoliticswithhim
recentlyattendingtheConservativeActionPoliticalConvention.(CPAC)Patrick,whowasa
supporterofPresidentialcandidateTedCruzbeforehesuspendedhiscampaign,hasnoissues
withthecurrentclimateofthecurrentcampaignfinancesituation.Moneyisfreedomofspeech,
thatisthebeautyofafreemarketeconomy.Peoplecanusetheirmoneyanywaytheyseefit.
AlthoughPatricksviewswereverydifferentthanpredicted,hemadesomeinterestingpoints.
Hisargumentmakessensefromatechnicalandlegallevelbutmorallyitbringsupsome
interestingquestions.Livinginasocietywheremoneymeansmorepowerisaverydangerous
thing.
IwentontoaskPatrickifDonaldTrumpandBernieSanderscanattributetheirsuccess
totheirunwillingnesstoplayintothesystem.Patrickpartiallyagreedsaying,Itdefinitelyplays
aroleinit,beforegoingontorantaboutBernieSanders.Patrickalsogaveadifferent
perspectiveontheKochbrothersthatIhadnotseen.Patricksaid,Everyonealwaysmakesthem
outtobeevil.Inrealitytheydonatetomanycharitiesandjustliketoinvolvethemselvesin
politics.AlthoughPatricksviewsarehardformetoagreewith,hebringsupaninteresting
pointthatitiseasytolosetrackof.Therearepeoplethatdonotwantthecurrentsystemto
change,thisisnotanissuethathas100percentagreement.AlthoughPatricksviewsarenot
widelyagreedwithhestillbelievesinthem.Beingthevicepresidentofthelibertarianclub,
Patrickisdefinitelyawellinformedcitizenwhoholdsadifferentviewonthesubject.Iwentinto
thisinterviewexpectingtoseethateveryonecanagreethecurrentsystemneedschangebutwhat

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Ifoundwasnothingclosetothat.Itreallyputsintoperspectivethatthesituationisnotasblack
andwhiteasIassumed.
CampaignfinanceissuesarenotexclusivelyplaguedforthePresidentialrace.Itexists
throughoutalllevelsofgovernment.SomewouldarguetheSenateracesarejustasifnotmore
importantthantheactualPresidentialelection.JohnOliverisaverywellknownpolitical
comedian.Hehasbeenontelevisionscreensforyearsbeingacorrespondentontheimmensely
popularDailyShowwithJonStewart.Hewasakeycomponentonthatshowuntiljustlastyear
whenhereceivedthechancetohosthisownshowwithHBO.LastWeekTonightstarring
JohnOlivernowairsSundaysonHBO.Althoughheisknownforhiscomedy,histeamof
writersdosomereallyindepthresearchontheirsubjectmaterial.
LastmonthJohnOliverranaspecialonCongressionalcampaignfunding.Someofthe
resultswereshockingtosaytheleast.Lastelectioncycle,candidatesraisedover1.7billion
dollars.Thisishardtocomprehendbutblamingtheactualcongressmenseemsunproductive.
Theyarejustplayingintoasystem.Playingintosaidsystemistheonlywayforthemtohavea
chancetowintheirraces.Thehardtocomprehendpartofthisisalltheotherthingsthismoney
couldbeusedfor.Somepoliticiansspendfrom2550%oftheirtimeraisingmoney.This
couldalleasilybeavoidedwithreform.Senatorswouldbeabletoputmoretimeintoimportant
issuestheUnitedStateshave.Alsotheyhappentobeongovernmentpayrollmeaningthe
citizensaretheonespayingforthemtospendallthattimefundraising.Intheelectioncycleof
20132014over2,800fundraiserswereheldinD.C.948alonewereheldatarestaurantcalled
JohnnySeaShells.Thisputsintoperspectivejusthowmuchtimeandhowmanyresourcesare
placedintothissystem.Theyallhavecallroomsatthepartyheadquarterstwoblocksaway

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fromcapitolhill.Thisisbecauseitisillegaltotechnicallyraisemoneyatcapitolhill.Justthe
factthatthisloopholeissowellknownshowshowthesystemneedschange.Ifpeopleknow
howthattheyaresoeasilybendingtheruleswhyevenhavetheminthefirstplace.Makingthem
gotwoblocksawayisjustcostingevenmoremoney.JohnOlivermaynotbeknownforhis
journalismbutsomethingshewasabletobringpublicshowsmaybethemainstreamnews
outletsshouldtakeacuefromhimandhisteam.Themoreandmorethesethingsarereported
themorelikelychangewillcome.
Overallcampaignfinancereformisverynecessary.CitizensoftheUnitedStatesof
Americadeservetobeabletohaveavoice.Changingcampaignfinancereformisnoeasytask
butitstartswithawareness.Justsimplybeinginformedofthesituationisthetruefirststep.With
noonetakingthesurveyevenknowingwhotheKochbrothersevenareitmakesthingsmore
difficult.KnowingaboutwhatishappeninginWashingtonandwithpeopleliketheKoch
brothersisarightthepeopledeserve.Thecurrentfinancesystemwillcontinuetoaffectelections
anddecisionmakingifsomethingisnotdonetopreventit.Onecitizenonevoice.

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WorkCited
CNNMoney,HowCampaignFinanceWorks.Youtube,YouTube,27Jan.2016.Web.15Apr.
2016.
Durtman,Lee,Smith,Bradley,Jacob,Paul,MirmanMarks,andHolman,Craig.DoWeReally
NeedCampaignFinanceReform?
TimeMagazine
.19Jan.2016.Web.15Apr.2016.
Galli,Mario.CampaignFinance
SurveyMonkey
.SurveyMonkey.Apr222016.Web.May4
2016.
Law,Alex.CampaignFinanceReform.HowCanWeMakeitHappen?
HuffingtonPost
Sep
11.2015.Web.Apr18.2016.
Oliver,John.LastWeekTonightwithJohnOliver:CongressionalFundraising.Onlinevideo
clip.
YouTube,
YouTube,3Apr.2016.Web.15Apr.2016.
Meyer,Jane.
DarkMoney
.NewYorkCity,NY.Pub.2016.
DoubleDay
.Book.
Wool,PatrickTelephoneInterview.25Apr2016.