Campaign Finance and the U.S Congress
From the beginning of the Republic, spending on campaigns has been essential to electoral success. To quote the colorful 20th century politician Jesse Unruh, “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” The cost of the average House race has soared over $1 million, and Senate races cost much more. At what point does the quest for cash interfere with lawmaking or invite corruption? How much does campaign financing correlate with success on Election Day? Can freedom of speech coexist with restrictions on how much money can be spent in electoral campaigns? This course examines who is funding congressional elections, how, and why it matters.
Specific topics may include:
- Why campaigns for federal office are so expensive
- “Dialing for dollars” – how campaign finance affects candidates and political parties
- Legislative attempts to regulate campaign finance
- Supreme Court decisions from Buckley v. Valeo to Citizens United
- Contribution limits, campaign expenditures, and independent expenditures
- PACs, 527s, and super PACs, and the FEC
- Current proposals for reform and their prospects
Research Seminars meet approximately four times for two hours, over the course of 12 weeks. The first meeting date is published, with the others determined at the first class.
Download the Certificate Program Application (PDF) and review the Application Procedures.
Upcoming Course Dates :
TBD
Next Course: TBD
