Three years ago the United States Supreme Court handed down its decision in Citizens United. Later, lower courts followed Citizens United in deciding SpeechNow v. Federal Election Commission, the legal foundation for Super PACs. The nation has now experienced mid-term and president elections governed by these decisions. This conference will examine the consequences of Citizens United. Did anything change? Our experts will then turn toward the future and ask what policies should be enacted (or not) in light of experience and Supreme Court doctrine.
9:00–10:30 a.m. - Panel 1: After Citizens United: Did Elections Change?
Moderator: John Samples
Director, Center for Representative Government, Cato Institute
Robert Bauer
Partner, Perkins Coie
Former Counsel to the President
General Counsel, Obama for America 2012
Bradley Smith
Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Designated Professor of Law, Capital University Law School
Former Commissioner, Federal Election Commission
Ray LaRaja
Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. - Panel 2: The Future of Campaign Finance Regulation
Moderator: Michael Malbin
Executive Director, Campaign Finance Institute
Don McGahn
Commissioner, Federal Election Commission
Lawrence Lessig
Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard Law School
John Samples
Director, Center for Representative Government, Cato Institute