95. The Legal Glitch That Engineered Our Political Rage – Larry Lessig

Why Overturning Citizens United Isn't the Only Way to Stop Super PACsHost David Beckemeyer speaks with Larry Lessig, the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School. Together, they unpack the hidden legal architecture driving our hyper-polarized landscape and explore why fixing the structural money in politics is a necessary first step toward reining in the outrage machine. While the popular narrative blames Citizens United for making unlimited campaign money unstoppable, Lessig reveals that super PACs actually rest on a flawed lower-court decision—SpeechNow.org v. FEC—that conflated independent spending with unlimited contributions. He explains how a voter-approved initiative in Maine capping super PAC contributions at $5,000 is setting up a targeted legal challenge at the Supreme Court that could dismantle super PACs without needing a constitutional amendment.Text me your feedback and leave your contact info if you'd like a reply (this is a one-way text). Thanks, DavidSupport the showShow Notes:https://outrageoverload.net/ Contact me, David Beckemeyer by email [email protected]. Follow the show on Instagram @OutrageOverload. We are also on Facebook /OutrageOverload. Check out our Subtstack https://outrageoverload.substack.comHOTLINE: 925-552-7885Got a Question, comment or just thoughts you'd like to share? Call the O2 hotline and leave a message and you could be featured in an upcoming episodeIf you would like to help the show, you can contribute here. Tell everyone you know about the show. That’s the best way to support it.Rate and Review the show on Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/OutrageOverloadAlso check out our companion podcasts, This Week in Outrage and Outrage Science Bites.Intro music and outro music by Michael Ramir C.Many thanks to my co-editor and co-director, Austin Chen.Outrage Overload, a Conners Institute podcast, is part of The Democr...