Unfree Speech: The Folly of Campaign Finance Reform
BOOK FORUMWednesday, March 21, 2001
12:00 p.m.
Featuring the author Bradley A. Smith, Commissioner, Federal Election Commission, with comments by Jamin Raskin, American University, Washington College of Law.
The Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Watch the Event in Real Video
Read the event transcript (PDF, 7 pp, 26 kb)
Congress is once again deciding whether to impose new regulations on campaign finance. Bradley A. Smith argues in this provocative new book that campaign finance regulation is both unconstitutional and unwise. Smith rejects the claims of Senator McCain and others that campaign contributions cause corruption and thus can be constitutionally regulated. He also shows why bans on soft money and issue advocacy are bad law and bad policy. Professor Smith is a leading scholarly voice in campaign finance debates. In May 2000 President Clinton appointed him to a six-year term on the Federal Election Commission. The Forum will also feature a lively evaluation of Smith's book by Jamin Raskin.