Intensive Course: Race, Money, and Power in American Democracy: Empirical Perspectives

Note: The add/drop date for this course is Monday, January 4 at 10:00 PM.

Course Location: Please see the "Intensive Course Schedule" under Schedules and Timetables (http://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/schedules).

Note: Attendance at intensive courses is mandatory for the duration of the course.

Race is a central feature of politics in America. But the American Supreme Court has limited its jurisprudence to a race-blind acknowledgment that quid pro quo corruption is especially dangerous to campaigns and democracy. As a result of the Supreme Court’s narrow focus, the American campaign finance system has undergone substantial deregulation over the past fifty years.

This course examines the racial implications of that deregulation, from political campaigning to policymaking to structural wealth inequality. We will analyze the race-neutral legal doctrines that shape campaign finance law and assess their real-world consequences. This exploration of race, wealth, and political power in American democracy will be largely empirical in nature. We will pay particular attention to:

• The racial wealth gap in America;
• The racial implications of unequal access to campaign financing for candidates; and
• Potential disparate racial impacts from gaps in the campaign finance disclosure regime.

We will also examine broader scholarship on the influence of campaign spending and outside expenditures in American elections.