Essay On Campaign Finance - 1196 Words

The Necessity of Campaign Finance The right of free speech granted to all citizens in the first amendment, the necessity of funding expensive political campaigns, and the fact that small donations make a candidate responsive to the needs of their constituents, all make any restrictions on campaign financing unneeded and onerous. Congress should strike down any bills attempting to reform this essential part of the U.S. election process. Any further restrictions on donations to political campaigns will prove detrimental to the United States functioning system of elections by limiting individuals’ freedom of speech, making our candidate’s campaigns underfunded and unresponsive to the needs of the American people. Campaign financing is, to†¦show more content†¦However, the most significant part of this decision was the precedent set that day, labeling money as an expression of speech, a right protected by the first amendment in the bill of rights. The issue of campaign financing was argued again more recently in the Supreme Court case, Citizens United v FEC. In this case the Citizens United conservative non-profit argued that an ad for the movie Fahrenheit 9/11 was critical of George Bush and therefore the commercial was a campaigning ad funded by an outside group within sixty days of the general election. Citizens United argued the ad was illegal according to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) passed in 2002 that stated no electioneering committee could fund an ad 60 days before an election. Citizens United believed Fahrenheit 9/11 was critical of Bush’s response to 9/11 and therefore was an ad for the opposing candidate Al Gore. The Supreme Court decided that if a company wants to use their money to campaign, since money is an expression of speech, there cannot be any law limiting when you can express your views politically. The court determined that the portions of FECA and BCRA related to restrictions on cor porate and labor union spending was unconstitutional as it prohibited free speech. Citizens United reaffirmed the president set by Buckley vs. Valeo that money isShow MoreRelatedEssay On Campaign Finance753 Words   |  4 Pages What is the current status of campaign finance reform? Campaign Finance alludes to attempts to control the courses in which political crusades are supported. This incorporates all burning through done to advance or bolster the advancement of applicants, ticket measures, political gatherings and thats only the tip of the iceberg. Directions can be connected to regular people, enterprises, political activity boards of trustees, political gatherings and different associations. They can come asRead MoreEssay on Campaign Finance Issues2167 Words   |  9 Pagesa voice in our own government. Elections are the choice microphones for many citizens. 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