The final item in an Institute for Free Speech symposium on the 50th anniversary of Buckley, which I've been cross-posting; this is by Bradley A. Smith, the Chairman and Founder of the Institute for Free Speech and the former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission:
Americans hate the combination of money and politics. Of that there can be no doubt. Every public opinion poll taken on the topic reflects that reality, as do the daily conversations I have about politics.
Substantial majorities of Americans see political contributions and spending as a source of corruption, believing that officeholders routinely sell votes or other official action in exchange for campaign contributions. It matters naught that there is near-unanimous agreement among political scientists who have studied the issue that campaign contributions do little or nothing to affect how a politician votes once in office.
Further, when wealthy Americans deploy their financial assets to argue for their preferred policies and candidates, it strikes many Americans as an affront to political equality. Few people can comfortably afford to spend $1,000 in an election campaign, let alone six, seven, or eight figures. Why should being rich give someone more political influence? That a big-spending political donor might empower millions of Americans who share the donor's views but otherwise would not be heard, is rarely considered.
