Lawrence Lessig on Money and Politics

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The 2012 election saw some of the largest amounts of money being poured into campaigns. Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig says it's time to reexamine the whole system.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a landmark Supreme Court case with huge political implications. In the wake of Citizens, super PACs became the cash-raising vehicle of choice for parties and their candidates.

Nowhere was this more apparent than in the 2012 election. Billions were spent by super PACs, from the presidential race and down the ticket. With few exceptions, no race was immune to the spending.

According to Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig, it's time to reexamine the whole system from the ground up. From lobbying and fundraising to legal loopholes and perverse financial incentives, Lessig says money flooding politics and government needs to be stanched, controlled and better accounted.

Lessig joined Kara Miller to talk about money and politcs and his new book, Republic Lost.

GUEST:

• Lawrence Lessig, professor of law at Harvard University. He's the author of Code version 2.0, as well as the new book Republic Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress — and a Plant to Stop It.