Alum Hayward Challenges Court History of Campaign Reform

Allison R. Hayward '94, an assistant professor at George Mason University School of Law, recently published an article, "Revisiting the Fable of Reform," correcting inaccuracies in the history of campaign finance reform that was offered by the Supreme Court in the landmark 1957 decision in United States v. Auto Workers.

The article argues that, in writing for the Court, Justice Felix Frankfurter recounted a history of campaign finance reform that described a reasonable and measured approach by Congress in order to justify the Court's deference to the Legislative Branch on this issue. Hayward contends that Justice Frankfurter's history was flawed, and that regulation often was used improperly for political gain. The article contends that correcting the historical record is an important step in restoring proper checks and balances on campaign finance legislation.

Hayward served as senior articles editor for the UC Davis Law Review while she was a student at King Hall. Her article appears in the Summer 2008 issue of the Harvard Journal on Legislation.