Keep in mind that the special interests—the elderly, environmental organizations, civil rights groups and, yes, corporations—are us, nothing more and nothing less. No matter what kind of laws Congress passes, citizens will band together and try to influence government as long as government tries to influence us. By banning soft money donations to political parties, McCain-Feingold will force money to shift from parties, which are broad coalitions that appeal to the center in order to build majorities and are accountable at the ballot box, to independent groups that answer only to their own members.

As Kathleen Sullivan, dean of Stanford Law School, has recommended, the government should eliminate all contribution limits and have full disclosure. Candidates should name all of their benefactors and be held responsible for every reckless advertisement and every appearance of impropriety. Of course, this proposal isn’t very sexy and, as a result, will almost certainly not see the light of day. Instead, we are traveling down a dangerous path of less accountability and less responsibility.

McCain pays lip service to democracy, but what exactly does democracy mean in a modern society? Few citizens have the time to master all the intricacies of today’s vast government and complex society. Instead, we elect leaders and hold them responsible for the peace and well-being of the republic. McCain’s campaign finance crusade represents an artful attempt to abdicate responsibility, to engage in the effortless demagoguery of blaming others for the failings of today’s politicians. In this regard, it is a greater threat to democracy than all the unregulated political speech in the world.

Reihan Morshed Salam ’01 is a social studies concentrator in Pforzheimer House.