2. LEARN SOME OF THE OBSTACLES TO REFORM

For starters, most of the good old boys in congress now (and even some of the ladies) won their positions thanks, in part, to large donations from interest groups and unions, and with the help of PACs. Moreover, when seeking reelection, the incumbent is clearly in a better position to leverage the perks of his/her office into a steady stream of contributions. Those congress members who oppose soft money are hindering their own chances of reelection and the chances of their colleagues in office. Understandably, the party leaders exert immense pressure to leave the rules alone so that those in power can keep their jobs.

Partisan politics complicate the issue, leaving Congress locked in a stalemate. Republicans are more than willing to cap union gifts (which traditionally go to Democrats) but are far more reluctant to limit their own sugar daddies, big business. Democrats, for their part, have raised fire and brimstone over the issue of corporate contributions, but remain silent when it comes to the activities of unions and not-for-profit organizations. Most experts agree that a ban on all forms of soft money would likely hurt the Republicans more: they are the richer party and depend heavily on funding from the wealthiest individuals and companies.

Complicating matters is the Supreme Court's insistence that monetary contributions are included in the First Amendment right to free speech and expression; in the 1976 decision of Buckley v. Valeo, the Court pronounced that, "virtually every means of communicating ideas in today's mass society requires the expenditure of money." In essence, the Court declared that candidates must be induced into accepting meaningful limitations on spending, rather than being required, by law, to do so. Although Senator Arlen Specter (Republican, PA) and Senator Ernest F. Hollings (Democrat, SC) jointly proposed amending the U.S. Constitution to permit such limits, they met with widespread opposition from their colleagues and the proposal quickly failed.

After all of that background, we thought we would present you with the specific arguments on both sides of the campaign finance issue, particularly as they are voiced within the context of the current Presidential election.