The Fallacy of Campaign Finance Reform Hardcover – October 1, 2006

This is a horrible and boring Libertarian book. The analysis is painful to get through. Totally dry and boring

I love this book. Finally a scholar 'gets it right' on the topic of campaign reform. The net result of campaign reform in America in 2012 going back to the liberal sweep of the 1974 mid term elections(following in the wake of the watergate and other Nixon misteps) is the stupid Federal Elections Commission and the massive restrictions on contributions to public officals running for office. Campaign finance reform is a failure to date. The net result is that most congressmen and senators and some state legislators, joined by presidentaial candidates, spend most of their time [in or out of office] campaigning for dollars in order to have a chance to run a successful campaign for election. The author's argument is that restrictions deny you [the voter] choices of candidates that cannot raise the money from small donations and must spend all of their time fundraising instead of thinking about reform bills that would actually solve problems. Real campaign reform would be : abolishing the Federal Elections Commission and permitting American citizens (not corporations, labor unions, or foreign citizens) to give any amount of money to the candidate of their choice. THe only requirement would be disclosure within 30 days of the donation if it exceeds one thousand dollars from any one person in any calander year. Expenditures need not be kept track of unless they were to be given to another candidate for office. If we then create competitive legislative districts , encourage 3rd parties to enter the poltical arena , and have 3 ballot elections so that only a person with an absolute majority of the votes in the district, state, or nation can win the office being contested, then we will have substantially improved the performance of our political system and reduced corruption all without campaign donation limits that we now have but which prevents average people from running for office. I recommend all members of congress, the president and all U.S. voters READ THIS BOOK NOW!Terry Jennrich