{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T15:39:34Z","timestamp":1786721974103,"version":"build-2736575974"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2022]]},"group-title":"SSRN","reference-count":0,"publisher":"Elsevier BV","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Judicial precedent has sold American democracy by creating an economic incentive to manipulate political markets through weak campaign finance regulations. To get it back, the People need to call for an Article V Constitutional Convention to propose a Campaign Finance Amendment.  Once economic minority rule is overturned, representative government and consequently, long delayed effective environmental legislation will follow.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;The United States (U.S.) has been a global leader since World War II. The Supreme Court\u2019s excessively protectionist view of political speech jeopardizes that position by tilting the scales of democracy. In equating money to speech, corporations to people, and political expenditures to political speech the Court facilitates the capture of Congress. As a result of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and similar cases, Congress no longer functions to serve the interests of the People of the U.S. Instead, Congress serves the interests of the ruling economic oligarchy. This is apparent when viewing Congress\u2019s failure to act on significant climate legislation, such as the Green New Deal. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Since both Congress and the Courts are unwilling to address the problem, the People must instigate change. The Founders wrote Article V into the Constitution and intended for the People to use it. To suggest otherwise violates the rule against surplusage. Given most occupants of seats in Congress rely on the current lax campaign finance scheme, Congress cannot be expected to propose an amendment itself. The clearest path forward is via an Article V Constitutional Convention to pass a Campaign Finance Amendment (CFA). Once ratified, Congress will return to representing the People and be incentivized to pass meaningful climate legislation. To misquote Churchill, Americans will always do the right thing . . . eventually.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This Note argues that the states should call for an Article V Constitutional Convention to propose a CFA. Part I provides the high-level context of the note relative to precedent and Congress. Part II provides context concerning the Supreme Court\u2019s campaign finance precedent and the need for a state-initiated convention in lieu of a CFA proposed by Congress. Part III analyzes the effect of the current campaign finance regime on the prospects of effective environmental legislation. Part III further argues that a state-initiated convention is necessary to enable significant environmental legislation. Finally, Part III contrasts the campaign finance and environmental systems of the U.S. with those in the United Kingdom and France for emphasis. The note concludes by asserting that the states should call for an Article V convention to propose a CFA to enable effective environmental legislation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.4266227","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,15]],"date-time":"2022-11-15T22:10:22Z","timestamp":1668550222000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Fix Campaign Finance, Save the World: An Article V Convention on Campaign Finance is the Way to Effective Environmental Regulation"],"prefix":"10.2139","author":[{"given":"Matthew","family":"Bakerpoole","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"78","container-title":[],"original-title":[],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T15:18:57Z","timestamp":1786720737000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ssrn.com\/abstract=4266227"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2139\/ssrn.4266227","relation":{},"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022]]},"subtype":"preprint"}}