The Ultimate Political Insiders

(Don Boudreaux)

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Here’s a letter to the Washington Post:

Editor:

George Will is correct that “All laws regulating campaigns are enacted by people with conflicts of interest – interests in advantaging themselves and disadvantaging challengers” (“Democrats’ big voting bill is constitutional vandalism,” June 3). As Thomas Sowell explains:

Campaign finance laws also enhance the power of incumbents, who have access to the media by virtue of their offices and have direct access to the public through the power of press releases and junkets paid for by the taxpayers. Unfortunately, it is only incumbents who can vote on campaign finance laws – and they are obviously in favor of whatever increases their chances of keeping their jobs.*

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Professor of Economics
and
Martha and Nelson Getchell Chair for the Study of Free Market Capitalism at the Mercatus Center
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030

* Thomas Sowell, “Campaign Finance Reform Follies” (April 14^th, 2001).