Timeline of Corruption

If you are thinking “hasn’t it always been this way?” If so, well, you aren’t alone. Many people are not aware of the history of campaign finance laws in America because civics is not a core part of the high school curriculum. Also, it feels like the system we have now has always been the practice, with politicians fundraising excessively and super PACs advertising on TV and sending mailers ad nauseam. However, the fact is America had strict campaign laws that were weakened by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) beginning 1976. The handful of SCOTUS rulings taken together effectively legalized  corruption in America, changing what once was considered illegal bribery and influence peddling to what is now considered legal and normal campaign “contributions”.