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Easy. You are not allowed to donate to political campaigns.

In fact, I've often suggested that the real solution is this. Elections and the electoral system are in the public interest, so why not fund it 100% publicly? The FEC sets aside a budget for anyone who gets a certain number of signatures of endorsement. They can spend that, and only that. They get a set amount of time on all TV stations. Nobody is allowed to donate publicly or privately. Elections are argued on their merits not on their budgets.

If it's shown to benefit a candidate, it's a crime, and you face civil and potentially criminal penalties.

> They can spend that, and only that. They get a set amount of time on all TV stations.

That’s naive. Media is owned by a few folks. There’s nothing to stop Murdoch from broadcasting/publishing the names of only the person that Murdoch wants to win. And you’ll never hear about the little Green Party lady that YOU want to win, and you can’t donate to help her out.

You can cap TV time for funded spots, but the talking heads on radio and TV will just keep mentioning how great Candidate Y is.

This is getting meta because the media being owned by a few folks is a monopoly/antitrust problem created in large part by lobbying. Our legislators should not have let all of the media companies in the country be owned by like 15 organizations.
> That’s naive. Media is owned by a few folks. There’s nothing to stop Murdoch from broadcasting/publishing the names of only the person that Murdoch wants to win. And you’ll never hear about the little Green Party lady that YOU want to win, and you can’t donate to help her out.

Yes, there is, make it illegal.

> You can cap TV time for funded spots, but the talking heads on radio and TV will just keep mentioning how great Candidate Y is.

I'm sure after the FCC issues the first few fines they'll settle right down.

At the end of the day, all of these roadblocks can be bowled over, its just a matter of how much you want it.

Illegal lobbying happens all the time. First of all, if you're involved in certain activities you must register as a lobbyist. People who walk the line with informal lobbying etc. are breaking the law. Secondly, obviously quid pro quo happens but is illegal. And finally there are those people that once worked for the government / military who are now greatly influencing government spending at a contractor. Of course some of that is allowed to a degree, but the envelope is constantly being pushed.

My opinion is that someone should file the proper case(s) that would eventually lead to SCOTUS overturning the Citizens United ruling. Then we should move to publicly-funding races. And we should DEFINITELY remove PAC money from justice races (why is that even a thing?).

But this country has a long history of increasingly corrupt government cranking out pork barrel projects and ignoring us little people. That will not change any time soon unfortunately, without a massive revolution.