Enron, a Perceived Crisis in Public Confidence, and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

In: The review of policy research: RPR ; the politics and policy of science and technology ; journal of the Science, Technology, and Environmental Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, Volume 21, Issue 2, p. 233-252

Abstract

In the spring of 2002, Congress passed & President George W. Bush signed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), the first major piece of campaign reform legislation since the early 1970s. While momentum for reform had been growing since the mid-1990s, without the Enron scandal & its potential threat to public officials, additional support to overcome the procedural barriers & opposition from the Republican leadership in both the House & Senate would have been difficult. In addition, Bush administration ties to Enron had the effect of demobilizing the president on the issue, making it virtually impossible for him to veto a bill he fundamentally opposed. The Enron scandal provided the "window of opportunity" needed by reform-oriented elites to pass a controversial & far-ranging law that was not a high priority on the public's agenda. The end result is a law, pending a Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality, that has the potential to alter fundamentally how electoral campaigns are funded & conducted. 61 References. Adapted from the source document.