Institute of Politics

Over the past decade, the country’s campaign finance laws have experienced convulsive change. From the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United and McCutcheon decisions in 2010 and 2014, the role of money in politics has shifted dramatically. Soft money is now banned, while spending by corporations and Super PACs is now unlimited and public financing systems sit on thin legal ice. Federal Election Commission Vice Chair Ann Ravel joins the Institute of Politics to discuss the recent evolution of our campaign finance system and the challenges and opportunities for the FEC in this new environment. Topics to be explored include limits on donations and spending, the rise of Super PACs, public financing, political coordination, and disclosure. Vice Chair Ravel will be discussing these issues and more in a town hall that will be lead by University of Chicago Law School professor Nick Stephanopoulos.