The role of money in the U.S. electoral process has become more and more controversial in recent years. Following the Buckley ruling and other legislation in 1996, candidates and political parties are free to raise virtually unlimited ?soft? money, making money perhaps the most significant factor in a campaign's success. In Moey Rules, Anthony Gierzynski theorizes that, under our current system of financing elections, our political process has tilted too far in favor of political freedom, at the expense of political equality. Gierzynski examines the historical roots of the campaign finance dilemma, demonstrates its effects on the local, state, and national levels, and projects the long-term outcomes for American politics.
List of Illustrations; Acknowledgments; 1. Introduction; The 1996 Election: A System in Crisis; The Context; The Basic Conflict; The Problem with the Current System of Campaign Finance; Plan of the Book; 2. Understanding Campaign-Finance Behavior; The Settings; Money and Power; Conclusion; 3. Elections, Campaign-Finance Law, and Public Opinion; Money in Elections; Political Parties Today; The Status of Campaign-Finance Laws Today; A Brief History of Campaign-Finance Regulation; Public Opinion on Campaign Finance; Summary; 4. Money in Elections; Money and Election Returns; The Distribution of Money; Conclusion; 5. Contributors; The Relationship Between Contributors and Lawmakers; Who Gives?; Conclusion; 6. Conclusion; Campaign-Finance Reform; Appendix A; Glossary; Bibliography; Index
Biography
Gierzynski, Anthony
