...W4 Assignment 3 – Question 4 Campaign Finance Reform Campaign reform is a touchy subject. Democrats seem to be highly for stricter campaign finance reform while most Republicans seem to be against it. Most people that are in favor of stricter campaign finance reform because they feel that just because someone has more money does mean they should be able to control the government. In 2002, several provisions were enacted to end the usage of nonfederal money effecting federal elections. This is known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). It outlines campaign finance law monitored and regulated by the Federal Election Commission. The Federal Election Commission’s website outlines the following provisions: • “Prohibiting national parties from raising or spending nonfederal funds • Requiring state, district and local party committees to fund certain "federal election activities" with federal funds (i.e. hard money) and, in some cases, with money raised according to new limitations, prohibitions, and reporting requirements (i.e. Levin funds), or with a combination of such funds. • Limiting fundraising by federal and nonfederal candidates and officeholders on behalf of party committees, other candidates, and nonprofit organizations” (Major provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, para. 2) Soft money is defined as money that is beyond the limitations of federal campaign finance law and is considered nonfederal. Soft money can only...
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...The force with the highest distribution of power The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) is a federal instrument organized to limit “large sums of money” from unfairly impacting national politics by controlling “electioneering communication”. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act identifies “electioneering communication”, as any satellite or cable broadcast made with thirty days before a primary election or sixty days before a general election, and which pertains to a distinctly identified prospect for Federal office. Citizens United agreed that its planned VOD broadcast and advertisements of The Movie fall within this definition of “electioneering communication”, qualifying them nonexempt from three applicable restrictions under The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). First, BCRA forbids Citizens United from using its corporate finances to air “electioneering communication” in order to suggest how an observer should vote. Second, if Citizens United achieves the first obligation, BCRA expects Citizens United to expose the personal identities of individuals who gave more than one thousand dollars towards, the creation of The Movie. Lastly, BCRA expects Citizens United to disclose for a minimum of four seconds a written disclaimer in its promotional material expressing it is accountable for the contents (Lindbloom & Terranova, 2009). Who else has power over the Issue? Each of our three branches of government have expressed their concerns on the issue of what role corporations...
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...Table of contents Introduction to Corporate Personhood…………………………………………………………………………………..1 Overview of Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee decision………………………………………2 Background of the parties who filed the suit and reasons for doing so……………………………………4 Arguments in favor of the decision………………………………………………………………………………………….5 Arguments against the decision……………………………………………………………………………………………..X Current events related to the decision…………………………………………………………………………………….X Future outlook on the decision…………………………………………………………………………………………………X Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Imagine a world without corporation, without structure, and without the complexity of the working world today. Some may even think of these corporations and businesses as individuals with the same rights that you and I have as human beings. Those with this frame of mind would not be too far from the truth. Our economic structure and business establishment has grown in such a way over past centuries that we depend on these conglomerates as a foundation of economic stability. In turn, they seek from us the same rights as businesses that we as individuals are granted as citizens of this great country. In the following pages, we will explore this concept further in understanding what Corporate Personhood is and discovering the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee, including the parties involved, reasons for the case, arguments for and...
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...UK Greenpeace 4. Agenda setting. Influence policy discussed by legislatures or the executive. Eg. UK: 38 Degrees rejection of 2012 NHS Bill. US providing voting cues for party members eg. Democracts may adhere to voting cues from ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) 5. Scrutiny. Scrutiny of government action and Supreme Court decisions (mainly in the US). Eg. US: ACLU & NRA court cases to monitor the affects of the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act 2002. UK: UK Uncut protests in Oct 2011 against the NHS Bill. Pressure group methods 1. Influence politicians. Eg. US: lobbying members of Congress, providing voting cues. UK: BMA and Royal College of Physicians urge PM to scrap NHS Bill. 2. Endorsement. Eg. US Mitt Romney attended NRA 2011 National convention. National Right to Life endorsed McCain in 2008. Also through donations to PACs. UK: 2010 Unite donated £1m to Labour party to support campaign. 3. Publicity and campaigns. Eg US: NRA 2012 “Get out the vote” campaign. UK: May 2011 Police Federation anti police cuts ad campaign showing dangers of cuts to child protection services – condemned by the Home Office. 4. Organised action. eg. UK: Uncut protests Oct 2011 against the NHS Bill. US: Occupy Wall Street since Sept 2011. What determines success or failure? 1....
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...of their views on campaign finance reform fit this status quo. As with most issues, Republicans favor less legislation that would place limits on campaign funding. They often claim this would be a case of the government infringing on citizens’ rights to free speech. Democrats, on the other hand, are pushing for increased limits on campaign funding. They claim that the massive spending from very wealthy donors limits the influence of the average person. With that said, both parties accept an astounding amount of outside funding for their campaigns. In the 2016 election cycle, a total of more than 647 million dollars was raised by the 17 initial...
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...‘Despite several attempts to regulate campaign finance, money increasingly dominates the U.S. Electoral process and is the main factor contributing to a candidates success’ Discuss (30 marks) Despite its popularity, there is no serious evidence that campaign finance regulation has actually accomplished any of the goals set out for it by its supporters. Efforts to regulate campaign finance have been little short of disastrous. They have distorted the political process, hindered grassroots political involvement, infringed on First Amendment rights, and helped to entrench incumbents in office while doing nothing to address the allegedly corrupting influence of money in politics. The 1974 amendments to the federal election campaign act constituted the first effort to establish a comprehensive, national system of campaign finance regulation. Specifically, the amendments established these limits for federal campaign finance, individual contributions were limited to $1,000 per candidate per election, with primary and general elections counting as separate elections, individuals were limited to $25,000 per calendar year in total contributions to candidates, party committees, and political action committees, PAC’s and party committees were limited to contributing $5,000 per candidate per election. In addition, the 1974 amendments established the presidential financing system of matching funds to candidates for amounts raised in contributions of $250 or less, established overall...
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...Briefs: I. 1. Title: International Shoe Co. v. State of Washington (p. 46) Judgment at trial in the Supreme Court of Washington for Washington State; Defendants appeal. 2. Facts: International Shoe Co. a corporation that manufactured footwear only in St. Louis, Missouri, yet it did sell its products nationwide. Including Washington State, where it send its salespeople. Who even though were not authorized to collect payments from the customers still were involved in renting spaces in hotels and businesses, display of sample products and taking orders. So when Washington State sought contributions to the state’s unemployment fund and did not get them, it sued International Shoe who argued that it was not engaged in business in the state. 3. Issue: Did International Shoe have sufficient minimum contacts in Washington State to permit jurisdiction there? 4. Rule: Yes. Minimum contacts with the forum state can enable a court in that state to exert personal jurisdiction over a party consistent with the Due Process clause. 5. Analysis: The activities carried on by International Shoe Co. in Washington were systematic and continuous rather than irregular or casual. The defendant received the benefits and protection of the laws of the state and is subject to jurisdiction there. 6. Conclusion: Judgment affirmed; the state may maintain the present suit to collect the tax. II. 1. Title: Stinton v. Robin’s Wood, Inc. (p. 57) Judgment at...
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...Social Security COM/156 July 3, 2011 Linda Dell’Osso Social Security On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Creating this new law allows workers, at the age of 65 and older, to receive an income that would continue after retirement. The benefits that each worker receives are based on contributions taken from each paycheck. The payroll contribution taxes finances the payments that retirees received monthly. “The program's finances are based on the relationship between the number of workers paying taxes and the number of retirees receiving benefits,” (SSA, 2011, p. 1). With the high rise in unemployment and the number of Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, the social security “annual cash surplus” is facing distinction. President Franklin D Roosevelt established a Social Security Board (SSA), consisting of John G. Winant, Arthur J. Altmeyer and Vincent M. Miles, (SSA, 2011). The newly established board provides information to the public, along with employers and employees, about the reporting of earnings and the availability and distribution of benefits. The Social Security Board remained an “independent agent” until 1939. During administration changes, the Social Security Administration, which operated under the Department of Health and Human Services, replaced the social security board. The main purpose of the social security system was to provide income for workers in their senior years. This income was...
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...The Effect of Campaign Finnacne on Democracy Daniel Sykes Student ID 250719824 Every election cycle, huge sums of money are spent in the promotion for campaigns to elect or re-elect candidates for public office. These contributions play a vital role in the success of election campaigns. Sources of campaign donations range from big businesses and trade unions to PACs (political action committees) such as the NRA. These groups donate to candidates in the assumption and hopes that the candidate will pursue a discourse and perhaps implement legislation that benefits the donating group. When we refer to “campaign finance”, we are of course referring to funds that are used to promote and advertise, hire advisers, pay for travel expenses, administration fees and other costs associated with running a campaign. The Presidential Election of 2008 generated one billion US dollars in campaign contributions and finance1, with this figure on the rise, many have spoken out against the propensity of election victories to be seemingly “bought” by the party who generated the most funds2. In this essay I will be discussing whether or not big money in campaign finance is a threat to democracy. It is important to consider the history of campaign finance reform and how it evolved over time, for this gives us a better perspective when reviewing our modern situation to see if democracy has lost its way. Before the 19th century, the majority...
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...IS CAMPAIGN FINIANCE RESTRICTION FAIL OF RIGHTS? INTRODUCTION Campaign finance reform has not managed either to promote political equality or prevent corruption. Even worse, in order to enhance the relative voice of others, the government decides to set donation limitation—restrict the speech of some elements. It is nothing else but to sacrifice people’s right to pursue an alleged political equality and preventing corruption, thus, it raises an ethical problem that restriction on campaign finance is fail of right. When looking into literatures of campaign finance reform, the debate of rights often based on the free speech protected by the First Amendment. People neglected that the free express of political petition is also a basic right acknowledged by the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Thus, I will examine this argument in the article from a broad to narrow scope. This article will analyze the campaign finance regulation’s failure from a right perspective. The article will demonstrate that some moral theorists divide rights into positive and negative categories which create distinctive correlative duties. This article will argue that the present restriction is actually infringe people’s rights and goes against with Universal Declaration of Human rights and the First Amendment. Moreover, the compel disclosure of donor’s information violates people’ s right to privacy, thus, such an act by government may be over regulated. Part 1 of this article will introduce...
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...How Campaign Finance Affects Electoral Outcomes (Name) (Subject) (Nature of Work) I. Introduction An electoral candidate can win an election if he has plenty of campaign finances. This seems to be the common wisdom that people believe in when it comes to the electoral success of candidates. However, such a statement is not easily verifiable. In fact, there are several factors involved in the determination of whether or not there is a correlation between the campaign finances used by candidates and the probability of winning due to these funds. It has been the contention of majority that for a candidate to get a seat or win the presidency, it is important that he spend lavishly. If this is the case, then incumbents, who are generally the ones equipped with the biggest campaign funds, have edge over challengers. It is also an assurance to potential challengers that if they manage to put up campaign funds, whether from contributors or from their own pockets, they are already assured of a win in the elections. With the government structure the United States have, generalizing for all sectors of the government, particularly during the electoral races, will be quite complex. Moreover, though it is very easy to make assumptions, such arguments could start crumbling once empirical studies of various experts on the subject of political science come to light. Factors such as policy decisions, party affiliations, popularity, etc. play a role in the...
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...2014 Senior Seminar/US-VA Government Research Paper What should the federal government do about an issue facing the United States of America today? You will be writing a research position paper that will receive grades in both your English and government classes. The paper will serve as an introduction to Model Congress. Project Objectives: • Prepare for Model Congress and complete a benchmark for English 12 POS ▪ Students will select a federal policy issue which interests them and research the policy (if it is a historical topic, think about the following: did Congress pass the legislation? Why did the policy succeed or fail? Did the president approve or veto the policy?) ▪ Each public policy topic from the list may only be selected by ONE student in each class period ▪ Students will make connections between their chosen public policy and topics studied in U.S. Government. Students must choose three of the topics below to address in their paper somehow: 1) Bipartisanship or lack thereof in Congress 2) Bureaucracies (agencies or heads of agencies) 3) Divided government or unified government 4) Federalism (lobbying efforts from states) 5) Interest groups (name specific) 6) Media (advertisements – describe) 7) Presidential leadership 8) Party discipline (or lack thereof) in Congress Requirements of the Combined Research Paper 1. Thesis Statement 2. Annotated Bibliography 3. Formal Outline 4. Final Paper...
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...Chapter 14 1. During the nomination campaign, the candidates target party leaders and interest groups. This is the time for the candidates to learn that a single phrase could end the campaign or guarantee a defeat. The media take much less notice of mistakes at this time than in the general election campaign. A danger not always heeded by candidates during the nomination campaign is that a candidate can move too far left or right and appear too extreme to the electorate. If a candidate tries too hard to appeal to the interests of party elites, they jeopardize their chances of winning the election. An example of this is the election of 1964 when Barry Goldwater went too far right and lost the presidential election. 2. After earning the party’s nomination, candidates embark on the general election campaign, or the phase of a political campaign aimed at winning election to office. Unlike the nomination campaign, where candidates must run against each other, during the general election campaign, candidates in partisan elections run against nominees from other political parties. All eligible voters, regardless of political party, have the opportunity to vote. For this reason, candidates are more likely to move their positions on political issues toward the ideological center. The length of the general election campaign varies from state to state. 3. Paid staff, political consultants, and volunteers work behind the scenes to support the candidate. Collectively, they plan...
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...When will we see Change? A Critical look at Barack Obama and the democratic party. Charles Kerber POLS 202 9AM American Government Livingston This paper will take a critical look at the history of the democratic party, its most recent 2012 election, its current presidential candidate Barack Obama, and the latest platform. While the paper may read as being highly critical of President Obama, it should be caveated by the fact that this is an extremely trying time in the history of the United States, and the government is under considerable pressures from outside terrorism threats and international relations, to severe recession and domestic economic concerns. Nevertheless, one must look critically at President Obama, and answer has he really given us “change we can believe in”? Biography & history The Democratic party went through a number of iterations before it became the current democratic party. The party began as the anti federalists under the leadership of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Thomas Jefferson a former secretary of state under George Washington's administration who had resigned to protest the fiscal policies of Alexander Hamilton. These two rivals would become the basis of the first two political parties of the United States. Alexander Hamilton favored the constitution, the creation of a national bank and repayment of the revolutionary war debt with federal funds. Under this philosophy they would name themselves Federalists, for their leaders support of ratifying the constitution...
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...Until recently, we had observed a slight resurgence in the power of political parties. A lot of this was demonstrated by the increasingly polarised ideological stances of the Republican Party and the Democrat Party, because as the divide between the two parties became more apparent, ideological differences were more visible, with less policy overlap. The exploitation of primaries by the Republican Party over the last 20 years has also proved an effective deterrent for any Republican who dared to oppose the party line. In recent years, the Tea Party’s hijacking of the process has resulted in more extreme candidates being elected. The Democrats have in turned voiced their support for unpopular Republican social issues all the more readily, such as gay marriage or abortion. Therefore, it would appear that the parties have represented the core beliefs of their voters more successfully than during the 1960s, for example, when the New Deal Coalition comprised both the traditional support of white Southerners who had always voted Democrat, and the African American community that had gained employment through the construction of federally funded infrastructure. This draws a sharp contrast to the Republican Party that swept Bush to the White House in 2004, when the support was made up of almost unanimously social and fiscal conservatives, although Bush’s immigration stance won him a slice of the Hispanic vote as well. Moreover, the parties’ running of government has also generally...
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