[InclinedPlane]

The problem isn't "money in politics". The problem is that the political process is too shallow, so much so that ordinary advertising can swing results often. And that is due to the electorate and the media. If you try to force money out of elections then you don't solve the underlying problems and you end up just moving corruption around, the money ends up less direct and harder to trace. Nobody wins and we end up bacck where we started.

[aaronlifshin]

Some media reform and education reform can be imagined that would help with this problem. However, no such reform can actually be enacted while our lawmakers are dependent on their funders instead of common sense or the wishes of the people.

[InclinedPlane]

I think that sentiment stems from the idea that law shapes society rather than society shaping the law. The reason the media is the way it is today has more to do with societal and cultural norms than with the law. It can, and should, be changed not through laws but through society.