Ideas for sale: Campaign Donation Reform

With the Presidential elections coming soon, it is easy to get lost in the fuss on the television, radio, billboards, and other commercial avenues. The idea of an election is that the country is able to decide the next president by a matter of majority votes, but the time up until that point have caused speculation over the years. Campaign donations have been under scrutiny since the early 1970’s and over the years have seen several changes, the most recent of these changes coming in as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.This act stops the donation of “soft money” which are funds given by an individual or company that do not directly advocate the election or defeat of candidates and are not directly contributed to candidate campaigns. It is argued that such legislation is unconstitutional and goes against the first amendment, with many opinions on both sides provided valid reasoning for or against this type of reform.
Advocates for campaign reform argue that by not introducing campaign reform, it tends to limit the ability of the “common man” to have a say in politics, leaving the real power in the hands of special interest groups and wealthy individuals. Opponents to reform claim by limiting the amount an individual or group can donate goes against the first amendment, and limits their right to political speech. It is easy to go either way on this subject, but the main concern is not how candidates feel about possible reforms, but how the voters feel. It has been implied that special interest groups, donate in order to generate sympathy or regard for their issue or needs. While no conclusive proof has been found thus far, one can see how convenient it is that these same groups tend to get what they want. Campaign reform is still very fresh on the minds of many, even being brought during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel; Hillary Clinton stated that she didn’t believe there should be limitations on donating, as it is very expensive to run a campaign. No matter the side of the debate voters fall on, it is their duty to keep their eyes open and do what they can to ensure the political system remains fair and balanced.