While there have been many legislative steps forward in the arena of campaign finance in the early half of the 20th century, the Supreme Court of the United States has largely been an obstacle to progress here since 1976, handing down many key decisions that tear down regulation and consequently expand the role that money plays in our political process, polluting our government with corruption. As the interpreter of the Constitution, both state and federal legislatures are bound by its judgments, and normal laws can do little to countermand them, subject to the constant threat of being overturned, assuming our corrupted politicians don’t do so themselves.
Supreme Court Justices are selected by the President and enjoy lifetime appointments. It is thus infeasible to push for replacements favoring campaign finance reform, as this would require waiting for seats to open up, electing a presidential candidate who would appoint such nominees, and having them confirmed by the Senate. There are too many points at which this process could go awry.
![[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://degetmoneyout.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/half-page-constitution.jpg)
The only authority in this country greater than the Supreme Court is the Constitution itself, and thus the only action that Congress and American citizens can take to effectively deal with money in politics is to amend the Constitution. Creating an amendment to the Constitution would create lasting change unhindered by outside influences and sturdy against both the whims of future legislators and justices alike.