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Center for Competitive Politics
Chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics; Professor of Law at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and at West Virginia University; former chairman of the Federal Election Commission;
PROFILE
Bradley Smith
Guest
FROM Bradley Smith
To the Point
Sugar Daddies, Super PAC's and Winning the White House The US Supreme Court has taken the lid off political spending, so presidential candidates are lining up billionaires to finance next year's campaigns. It's not just the South Carolina and New Hampshire primaries any more. There's the "Adelson primary" and the "Koch primary" facetiously named for Republican mega-donors.
To the Point
Without Limits, Will Campaign Contributions Dominate Politics? There’s just nine weeks left before the mid-term elections—and there’s more money than ever for Senate and House campaigns. In April, Alabama businessman Shaun McCutcheon gave his name to a US Supreme Court decision to eliminate legal restrictions on how much an individual can give in total to candidates and committees.
Which Way, L.A.?
To Vote or Not to Vote: Debate over Photo ID Laws Heats Up Voter ID laws vary all across the United States. Some states require photos, while others do not. Last week, the Justice Department blocked a new law in South Carolina, requiring a photo ID, saying it would disproportionately affect minorities. Proponents say that ID requirements help prevent election fraud. Is voter fraud really a problem?
To the Point
To Vote or Not to Vote: Debate over Photo ID Laws Heats Up Voter ID laws vary all across the United States. Some states require photos, while others do not. Last week, the Justice Department blocked a new law in South Carolina, requiring a photo ID, saying it would disproportionately affect minorities. Proponents say that ID requirements help prevent election fraud. Is voter fraud really a problem?
Which Way, L.A.?
The US Supreme Court and Partisan Politics Last week, by a vote of five to four, the US Supreme Court overturned two of its own precedents and a 63-year-old limit on corporate spending in political campaigns. The majority said it was lifting the burden of "censorship." The dissenters said it was opening the door wider than ever to corporate corruption.
To the Point
The US Supreme Court and Partisan Politics Corporations are individuals with First Amendment rights, and they can spend whatever they want to in political campaigns. So said the US Supreme Court last week in a 5-to-4 ruling that overturned two of its own precedents and a 63-year-old limit on corporate spending in political campaigns.
Which Way, L.A.?
Big Money, Political Influence and the Right to Free Speech Three weeks before its next session is scheduled to open -- with Justice Sonia Sotomayor on the bench for the first time, the US Supreme Court today heard a case that could change 100 years of campaign finance laws. Last year, the Federal Elections Commission banned the broadcast of Hillary: The Movie , because it was funded by a corporation.
Recommended
Zócalo's Connecting California
Throw caution to the wind Zocalo commentator Joe Mathews has some advice for incoming California Gavin Newsom: don’t follow in the footsteps of Jerry Brown.
KCRW Features
Who are the political players in the LA teachers strike? Thousands of LA public school teachers are going to be back out on the picket lines for a second day. They walked off the job Monday after failing to reach a contract agreement with the LA Unified School District, despite months of negotiations.
The 805
One year later, the threat of more mudslides still exists One year ago, torrential rain pelted the hillside community of Montecito, which was scorched a month earlier by the Thomas Fire. It unleashed a flow of mud and boulders the size of cars and killed 23 people. We check in with the community one year later and talk about what’s being done to prevent another debris flow.