Lobbying

In the simplest terms a lobbyist is an advocate. This advocate works on behalf of a particular
cause, group or organization, and this work may be for the benefit of individuals or corporations
and everything in between.
Lobbyists aim to shape policy by influencing policymakers to vote a certain way. A lobbyist asks:
How will this affect my client? Based on the answer to this question – and whether the policy is
beneficial to their cause – the lobbyist sets out to convince legislators why a certain bill should
or should not be passed.
Lobbying is a constitutionally protected right under the First Amendment, which states a right of
the people “to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” Every person has the right
to advocacy but not every person has the resources to warrant persuasion.
Many special interest groups, organizations, and corporations have the resources and money to
keep lobbyists on staff to make sure their interests are addressed in DC.

Campaign Finance

Campaign Finance refers to the fundraising and spending that political campaigns do in order to
win an election, such as travel and advertising.
Although many contributors support candidates they already agree with, there is wide public
perception that donors may expect illegitimate government favors in return.
Campaign finance reform is the political effort to control the influence of money in politics,
primarily in electoral campaigns.
McCain-Feingold bill : US Senators John McCain and Russell Feingold fought to reduce the
influence of special interest money in national elections via the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
(BCRA), more popularly known as the McCain-Feingold bill. This campaign finance law
prohibited parties from accepting “soft money” (unregulated money with no limits on amounts)
and made parties raise their own funds in “hard money” (regulated money). Though a step in
the right direction, the bill had loopholes . The recent Superme Court case of Citizens United v.
Federal Election Commission has effectively quashed whatever progress the McCain-Feingold
Act made.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

The Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission case began as a challenge to provisions of the
McCain-Feingold Act, which was passed by Congress in 2002 to restrict corporate and union
spending in elections. Citizens United, an organization dedicated to supporting conservative
causes, challenged the bill because it prevented the organization from promoting its film Hillary:
The Movie (an anti Hillary Clinton film produced by Citizens United).
In a 5-4 decision on January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court overturned previous decisions about
the First Amendment right of corporations- ruling that they have the freedom of speech right as
individuals. This decision allows corporations to make unlimited campaign contributions. The
Court's majority ruled that the government cannot regulate political speech while the dissenters
said that unlimited corporate money in elections would corrupt the process.