Changes

== Regulating Interest Groups ==

== Regulating Interest Groups ==

The [[First Amendment]] protects [[interest ]].  Government cannot abolish them, but can it [[regulate]] them?

The [[First Amendment]] protects [[interest groups]].  [[Government]] cannot abolish them, but can it [[regulation|regulate]] them?

[[John McCain]] almost won the [[Republican]] nomination for [[president in 2000]] by emphasizing one issue: [[reform]]ing the finance of political campaigns.  [[Senator McCain]] particularly disliked how an interest group could spend millions a few days before an election to sway the public against a [[candidate]].  He said that is unfair.

[[John McCain]] almost won the [[Republican]] nomination for [[United_States_presidential_election, 2000|president in 2000]] by emphasizing one [[issue]]: reforming the finance of political campaigns.  [[Senator]] [[John McCain|McCain]] particularly disliked how an [[interest group]] could spend [[Powers of ten|million]]s a few days before an [[election]] to sway the public against a [[candidate]].  He said that is unfair.

The [[media]] also dislike how [[interest group]]s could [[influence]] [[election]]s by running [[ad]]s just before [[voting]].  These [[ad]]s detract from the [[power]] of the media to influence the outcome of an election.  The media loved McCain partly because they agreed on this issue.

The [[media]] also dislike how [[interest group]]s could influence [[election]]s by running [[advertisement|ads]] just before [[vote|voting]].  These [[advertisement|ads]] detract from the [[power]] of the media to influence the outcome of an [[election]].  The [[media]] loved [[John McCain|McCain]] partly because they agreed on this [[issue]].

[[National Right to Life Committee|National Right to Life]] was so upset at McCain’s attempt to [[muzzle]] [[interest group]]s that it ran ads attacking McCain in the [[New Hampshire]] presidential[[primary]] in 2000, even though McCain has a [[pro-life]] [[voting record]].  The ads [[backfire]]d, and McCain defeated Bush.

[[National Right to Life Committee|National Right to Life]] was so upset at [[John McCain|McCain]]’s attempt to muzzle [[interest group]]s that it ran [[advertisement|ads]] attacking [[John McCain|McCain]] in the [[New Hampshire]] [[presidential primary]] in 2000, even though [[John McCain|McCain]] has a [[pro-life]] [[vote|voting]] record.  The [[advertisement|ads]] backfired, and [[John McCain|McCain]] defeated [[George W. Bush|Bush]].

What do you think about the right of interest groups to run [[expensiv]] ads just before an [[election]]?  Should it be limited?  In the [[Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act]] of 2002, [[Congress]] prohibited political ads by interest groups within 60 days of an election.  The [[Supreme Court]] later ruled this to be [[unconstitutional]].  Do you think this [[regulation]] is constitutional?

What do you think about the right of [[interest group]]s to run expensive [[advertisement|ads]] just before an [[election]]?  Should it be limited?  In the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, [[Congress]] prohibited [[politics|political]] [[advertisement|ads]] by [[interest group]]s within 60 [[day]]s of an [[election]].  The [[Supreme Court]] later ruled this to be [[unconstitutional]].  Do you think this [[regulation]] is [[constitution]]al?

== Election Results ==

== Election Results ==