It is estimated that spending on the next US presidential election could be as high as 10 billion dollars. A landmark US Supreme Court ruling 10 years ago changed campaign finance laws by allowing unlimited amounts of private money to be injected into the American electoral system. The ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commissions case argued that placing limits on election spending by corporations or special interest groups violates the US Constitution's First Amendment right to free speech.

With the century-old restrictions lifted in 2010, groups and corporations have been able to spend unlimited funds on campaign advertising and events, as long as there is no formal coordination with the candidates or their parties. As a result, Super Political Action Committees - or Super PACs - were established, with the vast majority of their funding coming from wealthy donors. This trend has raised concerns about the inequality gap and the influence of wealthy individuals and corporations on the candidates in the US election system. So, is big money perverting American democracy? Who's interests are being served and who's voices are being left out?

Guests:

James Bopp Jr

Special Counsel for President Trump on Campaign Finance Law

Hans Von Spakovsky

Manager, Election Law Reform Initiative at The Heritage Foundation

Brendan Fischer

Director, Federal Reform Program at The Campaign Legal Center

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