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League of Women Voters of Kansas
Money in Politics– What will the High Court Decide?
Money in Politics– What will the High Court Decide?
Supreme Court Preview: McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission
By: Jessica Jones 09/11/2013
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to begin hearing cases in its fall term next month. On the second day of arguments, a case that has been labeled the “next Citizens United” will be heard by the Justices. The case, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (FEC), challenges aggregate spending limits that are imposed on individual donors in order to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption. To understand the full effect that this case could have on campaign finance, it’s important to understand what limits are currently placed on individual donor contributions.
In the 1970s, following the “bought” government deals found during the Watergate Era, Congress passed and amended the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). The legislation was introduced following the disclosure of corruption during the 1972 election season. FECA established contribution limits for individuals and disclosure requirements for federal candidates, political parties and political action committees as well as contributors. It also established the FEC as the governing body for enforcement of these limits. The League lobbied intensively for FECA and worked to defend the law in the courts. Throughout this time and since, the League has advocated that limits to the size and type of contributions from all sources are an essential means to combat undue influence and corruption in the election and governing processes.
Individuals can donate $2,600 per election to a federal candidate, $32,400 to a national party committee and up to $5,000 to a non-party political action committee (PAC). But in addition, there is an aggregate contribution limit of $123,200 on the total amount that an individual can donate to candidates and party or non-party political committees over a two year period. Contribution limits were established to block corruption from large gifts of money to particular candidates and to avoid creating a funnel system through which large amounts of money from a single person could be distributed from PACs or party committees to individual candidates.
Removing the aggregate limits on contributions would allow an unlimited amount of money to be contributed by one person to federal candidates. And it would allow an office holder or candidate to solicit an unlimited contribution for distribution to a number of candidates. Thus, the contributor would gain broad influence and the recipient would be beholden due to the unlimited gift. More money, more influence. Thus, the McCutcheon v. FEC case will have a large impact even though it deals with a technical and arcane matter of campaign finance law.
The League has joined an amicus brief in this case. The brief argues two basic points. First, overturning the aggregate limit would ignore the real world effects that abolishing the limits would have. Overturning the aggregate limit would essentially allow individuals to donate millions of dollars to candidates and political parties and corrupt our political system. Second, abolishing aggregate limits would allow the party and PAC systems to become a funnel for candidates across the country and circumvent the other existing limits.
The League will continue to be active at all levels of government to protect our political system from big-money corruption and to ensure that the voices of voters across the country can be heard. We will continue to update our website with information on this case. Check out our work on Money in Politics for the most up-to-date information regarding this case and other actions being taken on campaign finance issues.
League of Women Voters of Kansas–not just for women
Supreme Court Decision Protects Health Care for Millions of Americans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: lwv.kansas@gmail.com
June 28, 2012 202-263-1331
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT RULED CONSTITUTIONAL
Washington, DC – “Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Florida v. HHS upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was surprising but deeply important. This decision protects the health of millions of Americans,” said Elisabeth MacNamara, national League President.
“The Court recognized health care reform for what it is: a legislative response to complex issues threatening the health and well-being of Americans that was best resolved by the elected branch of government – the Congress. The Court upheld this historic, transformative act of Congress,” added MacNamara.
“Upholding the ACA brings our nation closer to the goal of this law: to provide universal health care for all Americans. There are still threats to these critical reforms and the League will continue its work fighting for progress on many fronts,”
“Now that the law has been upheld, children will no longer be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions, young adults can stay on their parents’ health plans as dependents until age 26, Medicare participants will have annual check-ups and mammograms, and many uninsured Americans will now have health care coverage,” MacNamara said.
Ernestine Krehbiel, president of the League of Women Voters of Kansas said about the decision, “The League of Women Voters of Kansas will continue to educate our community on the ACA and its pivotal impact on lives and work to fully implement the law. Health care for all must be the goal as we expand coverage to millions of Americans and preserve the Affordable Care Act’s transformational reforms.”
“We expressed great hope when the ACA passed Congress in 2010 after decades of struggle. Today, we look to a brighter future, a tomorrow that includes health care coverage for all Americans,” concluded Krehbiel.
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The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
New study shows young people, across racial groups, participating politically via new media
By admin3 on June 26, 2012
Contrary to Notion of a Digital Divide, Black Youth Engage in Participatory Politics Online at Rates Equal To or Slightly Higher Than White, Latino, and Asian-American Youth
– The MacArthur Research Network on Youth and Participatory Politics (YPP), under the direction of co-principal investigators Cathy J. Cohen of the University of Chicago and Joseph Kahne of Mills College, today unveiled the findings of the largest nationally representative study to date of new media and politics among young people.
The national survey questioned 3,000 young people, ages 15-25 on how they use the Internet, social media and engage in politics. Unlike any prior study on the topic, the YPP survey included large numbers of black, Latino, and Asian American respondents, allowing for unique statistical comparisons across race. The data present one of the most complete pictures to date of how young people are using new media in new ways to engage politically, providing relevant insights on both the long-term political picture in America and the upcoming 2012 election.
The study report, Participatory Politics: New Media and Youth Political Actionshows that contrary to the traditional notion of a technological digital divide, substantial numbers of young people across racial and ethic groups are engaging in “participatory politics” — acts such as starting a political group online, circulating a blog about a political issue, or forwarding political videos to friends. Like traditional political acts, these acts address issues of public concern. The difference is that participatory acts are interactive, peer-based, and do not defer to elites or formal institutions. They are also tied to digital or new media platforms that facilitate and amplify young people’s actions.
“As the 2012 election approaches, it is important to realize how young people, especially youth of color, are using new media to amplify their voices in the political realm,” stated Cathy J. Cohen. “Not only did we find that large numbers of youth take part in participatory politics, but, defying conventional expectations, black and Asian-American youth are the most avid users of new media for friendship and interest-driven activities. Moreover, black youth participate in online forms of participatory politics at rates equal to or slightly higher than white, Latino and Asian-American youth.”
“Anyone who cares about democracy needs to pay attention to this important dimension of politics for young people—participatory politics spread information, mobilize individuals to act, and provide many ways for youth to voice their perspectives,” said Joseph Kahne. “But there are challenges. These politics also spread misinformation, and they may promote voice more than influence. When we asked young people if they thought they and their friends would benefit from learning more about how to tell if online information was trustworthy, 84% said, ’Yes!’ In massive numbers, youth are saying they need help with digital media literacy.”
The YPP national survey and analysis of the data was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, whose $100-million digital media and learning initiative aims to determine how digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. The research was conducted by Kahne and Cohen and a team of three researchers: Benjamin Bowyer and Ellen Middaugh at Mills College and Jon Rogowski at the University of Chicago. The study has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Among the key findings:
Access to and Use of Internet and Social Media
- Large proportions of young people across racial and ethnic groups have access to the Internet and use online social media regularly to stay connected to their family and friends and pursue interests and hobbies.
- A majority or near-majority of white (51%), black (57%), Latino (49%), and Asian American (52%) youth report sending messages, sharing status updates and links, or chatting online daily.
Participatory politics are an important dimension of politics
- 41% of young people engaged in at least one act of participatory politics during the prior 12 months, while 44% participated in other acts of politics.
- Specifically, 43% of white, 41% of black, 38% of Latino, and 36% of Asian American youth participated in at least one act of participatory politics during the prior 12 months.
- Participatory politics are an addition to an individual’s engagement rather than an alternative to other political activities:
- U.S. citizens who were 18 or older and who engaged in at least one act of participatory politics were twice as likely to report voting in the November 2010 elections as those who did not engage in participatory politics.
- A large proportion—37% of all young people—engages in both participatory and institutional politics.
- Among young people who engage in participatory policies, 90% of them either vote or engage in other forms of politics.
Participatory politics are equitably distributed across different racial and ethnic groups
- Contrary to the notion of a technological digital divide, the YPP study finds that overwhelmingly, white (96%), black (94%), Latino (96%) and Asian American (98%) youth report having access to a computer that connects to the Internet.
- The difference in voting in 2008 between the group with the highest rate of turnout according to the U. S. Census Bureau—black youth (52%)—and the group with the lowest rate of turnout—Latino youth (27%)—is 25 percentage points.
- In contrast, the difference between the group with the highest rate of engaging in at least one act of participatory politics—whites (43%)—and the groups with the lowest rate of engaging in at least one act of participatory politics—|Asian Americans (36%)—is only 7 percentage points.
Taking into account participatory politics, institutional politics, and voting, black youth are the most likely to have participated in at least one form of these activities:
- Engagement is highest among black youth, with only 25% reporting no engagement in any form of political behavior, compared with 33% of whites, 40% of Asian Americans, and 43% of Latinos.
Credibility of Online News and Information
- Youth now consume news through participatory channels. 45% of youth reported getting news at least once a week from family and friends via Twitter or Facebook feeds. This rivals the 49% who got news at least once in the past week from newspapers or magazines. Youth believe they would benefit from learning how to judge the credibility of what they find online.
- Survey respondents were asked, “Do you think people like you and your friends would benefit from learning more about how to tell if news and information you find online is trustworthy?”—84% said, “Yes.”
“While we can probably assume that youth will learn to use their cell phones without formal instruction,” Kahne said, “They may well benefit from supports and programs in both school and out-of-school settings that strengthen their ability and desire to produce media that is informed, persuasive, and distributed effectively.”
“A key question that emerges from these findings is: ‘Are we prepared to provide the resources, supports and media literacy training necessary for youth of color to transfer their digital social capital into influence in the political realm?’,” noted Cohen. “Participatory politics offers a political realm where voices of young people are at the center and driving the agenda. Are we prepared to embrace their innovation, support their engagement, and give them greater control, voice, and potentially influence over the issues that matter most in their lives?”
Methodology
The Youth Participatory Politics survey was conducted by Knowledge Networks (KN) on behalf of Mills College. The survey was administered through online and telephone modes from February 9, 2011 to July 14, 2011. Both modes were administered in English- and Spanish-language versions. The median online respondent completed the survey in 35 minutes, and the median telephone interview lasted 44 minutes. The target population for the survey comprised young people between fifteen and twenty-five years of age living in the United States from four ethnic/racial groups: non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, non-Hispanic Asians, and Hispanics (of any race). In order to be able to make meaningful comparison across racial and ethnic groups, the study also included oversamples of African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics.
The full YPP study report can be found here.
A Constitutional Amendment movement that says a corporation is not a person opens the field up to varying definitions of personhood. For example, a fertilized egg might be someone’s person and in the debate. More controversy.
Can you think of a way to word an Amendment to undo damage of the Supreme Ct decision in Citizens United v FEC without opening other cans of worms?
A Constitutional Amendment to oust money from elections?
DO NOT Let the campaign lies stand unchallenged! They are all doing it but you can shine the light.
Factcheck.org and Flackcheck.org (Univ. of Pennsylvania Annenberg School of Communication unbiased campaign watchdog sites) are very important web addresses every caring citizen should use to check the accuracy of any ad by candidates OR independent PACs this campign season. There are a lot of out and out lies and while the FCC says TV stations cannot edit or censor ads by the candidates who are allowed to buy ad space, the TV stations do NOT have to take false or misleading third party ads.
Call you local TV stations after you have gone to http://www.factcheck.org and checked a PAC ad and let the station know that you expect them to be responsible and not run it if it has falsehoods in it.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF KANSAS – Campaign Finance News
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF KANSAS – Campaign Finance News.
Is money speech? With the decision Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court ended years of efforts to keep our elections balanced. Wealthy entities such as unions, individuals and corporations (including some outside the U.S.!) got unlimited freedom to spend on American elections through lobbying and advertising. As a result, campaign spending rose 427% in the 2010 elections alone, and spending in the 2012 elections may reach over $8 billion
The US Supreme Court said that spending money on an election is the same as free speech. What is YOUR VIEW?
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF KANSAS – Campaign Finance News
Campaign Finance News
- Campaign Finance 2012: Where Your Money Can Go : NPR
June 1, 2012
Recent court cases have changed the rules about money in federal politics, but there still are rules. Here’s a snapshot of donors and fundraising recipients across the political spectrum — ranging from the candidates themselves to the new superPACs to different categories of 501(c) tax-exempt, nonprofit groups. It shows how… - Retired US justice says campaign finance ruling made cash king – Chicago Tribune
June 1, 2012
WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) – Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens leveled new criticism on Wednesday against the court’s landmark 2010 ruling on campaign financing, saying it had allowed corporations to ramp up spending and non-voters to influence the outcome of elections. - An end run around campaign finance laws – The Washington Post
June 1, 2012
To grasp the clear and present danger that the current flood of campaign cash poses to American democracy, consider the curious case of Post Office Box 72465. It demonstrates that the explosion of super PAC spending is only the second-most troubling development of recent campaign cycles.
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You’re invited to a nonpartisan discussion of the legal, economic, political and social consequences of the 2010 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission. And bring a friend. It’s Flag Day!
Thursday June 14 – 7pm
Wichita Boathouse, 515 S. Wichita
Moderator: Laura Dungan, Consulting Director, National People’s Action
Panelists:
Dr. Russell Arben Fox, Associate Professor of Political Science, Friends University
Louis Goseland, Organizing Director, Sunflower Community Action
David Hansen, Director, Interfaith Workers Justice Kansas
Davis Merritt, Journalist and Author
lwvkansas 