The Case for Campaign Finance Reform in the United States

Campaign finance laws in the United States have changed dramatically over the last thirty years. These changes are largely due to laws passed by Congress and decisions from the Supreme Court. Two major laws that determined the course of the laws were the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. These laws outline how campaigns were required to run. In addition to laws passed by Congress, decisions from the Supreme Court have dramatically changed the scope of electioneering. Buckley v Valeo, decided in 1976, and Citizens United v FEC, decided in 2010, both brought major changes to elections, ranging from disclosure requirements to the creation of SuperPACs. These decisions, paired with the laws passed by Congress set the stage for a campaigning system that many see as in dire need of reform