There is a fundamental problem with both lobbying and campaign finance that none of the existing laws or proposed reforms can fix, one that stems from the decision of the Supreme Court 30 years ago in the case of Buckley v Valeo. In that case the Court declared that the right of free speech, including political speech, must be afforded not only to natural persons but also to juridical persons like corporations. It would be wonderful if this precedent could be overturned, but the appointment of the corporation-friendly Alito to the Court is likely only to strengthen the power of corporations over our government. So we need to get more creative.
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