FSU College of Law Sandy D'Alemberte Rotunda
"Decline and Fall? The Uncertain Future of Campaign Finance Law," presented by Richard Briffault, Columbia University
Fifty years ago, in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, Congress enacted comprehensive campaign finance regulation. Shortly after, the Supreme Court in Buckley v. Valeo decided a host of constitutional challenges to the new law, creating a campaign finance system significantly different from the one Congress intended and establishing doctrine that, with few changes, continues to govern today. After a half-century, it’s hard to say that things have worked out well. Indeed, most observers agree that it is a mess. This talk will examine the basic elements of the Supreme Court’s campaign finance doctrine, its impact on our political system, and some alternative scenarios for the future of campaign finance law.
Watch the recording of the lecture.
Featured Speaker
Richard Briffault is the Joseph P. Chamberlain professor of legislation at Columbia Law School, where he combines public and government service with teaching, research, and scholarship. Briffault is the law school’s authority on state and local government, and members of the media often turn to him for his expert insight into and analysis of issues central to democracy and the political process, such as campaign finance reform, government ethics, gerrymandering, election administration, and fair elections. He is also a leading thinker on "the new preemption," a critique of states that are increasingly passing ideological laws that override local ordinances. Briffault has written or coauthored more than 90 law review and journal articles. His books and monographs include "Dollars and Democracy: A Blueprint for Campaign Finance Reform," several editions of the "State and Local Government Law" casebook, "The New Preemption Reader," and "Cleaning Up Hazardous Waste: Is There a Better Way?"