Campaign Finance after
Citizens United: What Happened? What Now?

Conference
January 23, 2013 10:00 AM to 1:45 PM EST

Hayek Auditorium

Featuring John Samples, Cato Institute; Robert Bauer, Perkins Coie; Bradley Smith, Capital University School of Law; Ray LaRaja, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Michael Malbin, Campaign Finance Institute; Don McGahn, Federal Election Commission; and Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School.

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

Panel 1


Download a podcast of panel 1

Panel 2


Download a podcast of panel 2