[EL] Efficacy of Campaign Finance Reform

[Ray La Raja]

Steven,  I am not sure what you mean by money being a “determinant factor” because many studies show this is not so with respect to who wins elections or policy outcomes.  With regard to law, even something as controversial as Citizens United raises questions about — does it matter?   For example, Brian Schaffner and I did a study demonstrating that reforms in the American states that try to stop corporations and unions from spending money in elections made little difference on which parties won elections and incumbent reelection rates.  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026137941300125X <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026137941300125X>

To be sure, laws can make a difference in the flow of money to different political committees, which can lead indirectly to different outcomes.  My recent book with Schaffner uses a comparative analysis of 50 states to illustrate how laws that constrain political parties end up pushing money toward the most ideological elements in the party system.  Candidates end up relying more on individual donors and interest groups that are driven by narrow interests and passions rather than electorally pragmatic party organizations. The outcome is state legislatures that are more polarized than if party committees controlled the campaign money.  https://www.press.umich.edu/4882255/campaign_finance_and_political_polarization <https://www.press.umich.edu/4882255/campaign_finance_and_political_polarization>

For a different perspective look at Lynda Powell’s book, which implies that certain reforms could potentially reduce the impact of money on the behavior of politicians. https://www.press.umich.edu/2454352/influence_of_campaign_contributions_in_state_legislatures <https://www.press.umich.edu/2454352/influence_of_campaign_contributions_in_state_legislatures>

Ray La Raja
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
http://polsci.umass.edu/profiles/la-raja_ray/home <http://polsci.umass.edu/profiles/la-raja_ray/home>

> On Oct 27, 2015, at 6:04 PM, Steven John Mulroy (smulroy) <smulroy at memphis.edu> wrote:
> 
> Many of my election law students are of the view that all campaign finance reform efforts are doomed, that money always has been and always will be the determinant factor in politics.  I think this view may color their opinion of the value of learning about the law of campaign finance.  
>  
> I wonder if any of you can refer me to any studies, articles, or data suggesting that campaign finance reforms (even ones subsequently invalidated by the Court) can be effective?
>  
> Steven Mulroy
> Professor of Law
> Associate Dean for Academic Affairs 
> University of Memphis
> Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law 
> 1 North Front Street 
> Memphis, TN 38103
> 901.678.4494 office
> View some of my research on my SSRN Author page: http://ssrn.com/author=114356 <http://ssrn.com/author=114356>
> <image001.jpg>
>  
> _______________________________________________
> Law-election mailing list
> Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu <mailto:Law-election at department-lists.uci.edu>
> http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election <http://department-lists.uci.edu/mailman/listinfo/law-election>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://webshare.law.ucla.edu/Listservs/law-election/attachments/20151028/7ac3b39a/attachment.html>