---
title: "4 Campaign finance Quotes By Zephyr Teachout"
description: "4 Campaign finance quotes by Zephyr Teachout. Plus more from Zephyr Teachout and more Campaign finance sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_the-structure-of-private-campaign-financ_1286287.jpg"
---

> [The structure of private campaign finance has essentially pre-corrupted our politicians, so that they can't even recognize explicit bribery because it feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/the-structure-of-private-campaign-finance-has-essentially-pre/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_the-structure-of-private-campaign-financ_1286287.jpg)

> [Wealthy individuals have always had the capacity to influence politics, of course, but only after two key campaign finance cases - Wisconsin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/wealthy-individuals-have-always-had-the-capacity-to-influence/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a6/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_wealthy-individuals-have-always-had-the_1520476.jpg)

> [Talking to Republicans who aren't leaders - that's not very difficult both on anti-trust and on campaign finance reform. I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/talking-to-republicans-who-aren-t-leaders-that-s-not-very-difficult/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_talking-to-republicans-who-aren-t-leader_2583982.jpg)

> [If the publicly passed campaign finance laws had not been struck down by the Supreme Court, Club for Growth Action would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/if-the-publicly-passed-campaign-finance-laws-had-not-been-struck-down/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/zephyr-teachout-3069_action_if-the-publicly-passed-campaign-finance_2839358.jpg)

## Other authors on Campaign finance

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-bernie-sanders-17420.jpg) Bernie Sanders 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/bernie-sanders/)

## More by Zephyr Teachout

> [I don't think we should reduce the corporate tax rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-don-t-think-we-should-reduce-the-corporate-tax-rate/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [Amazon's outsized power is looking less and less like smart business and more and more like oppressive politics - one company bullying us all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/amazon-s-outsized-power-is-looking-less-and-less-like-smart-business/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [I think part of the reason the Tea Party has resonated is that people feel disempowered. The Tea Party says, "You are out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-part-of-the-reason-the-tea-party-has-resonated-is-that-people/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [Anti-corruption is a core constitutional value. It always has been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/anti-corruption-is-a-core-constitutional-value-it-always-has-been/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [Integrity is hard work. I do think the internet makes it harder because of the temptations of performance. You can perform and have integrity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/integrity-is-hard-work-i-do-think-the-internet-makes-it-harder/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [I think a lot of the reason people are attracted to the Keystone pipeline is because at least we're doing something. There's a fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-think-a-lot-of-the-reason-people-are-attracted-to-the-keystone/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [If you think art is a competitive forum, then you're going to stop doing it if you're not good. But if it's not competitive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/if-you-think-art-is-a-competitive-forum-then-you-re-going-to-stop/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [ A combination of working in politics as well as teaching and being \[an actor\] certainly helped. I became so much more comfortable in front… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/a-combination-of-working-in-politics-as-well-as-teaching-and-being-an/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [If those people in power never made any mistakes, we'd be done for as a democracy. But people keep making mistakes. History is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/if-those-people-in-power-never-made-any-mistakes-we-d-be-done-for-as/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [Normally, politicians lie because they want to persuade us of the truth of what they are saying. A candidate for Congress will claim that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/normally-politicians-lie-because-they-want-to-persuade-us-of-the/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [The Internet is an important organizing tool. But the goal of a campaign isn't to use the Internet for organizing; the goal is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/the-internet-is-an-important-organizing-tool-but-the-goal-of-a/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [At a policy level, we can support protecting and serving as opposed to militarization or disproportionate response. Step one is making sure we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/at-a-policy-level-we-can-support-protecting-and-serving-as-opposed-to/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [So the job of building structures, building a constitutional structure, is not just to punish those who behave badly but actually to protect people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/so-the-job-of-building-structures-building-a-constitutional-structure/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [To be fair, money and politics never work in a directly straight line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/to-be-fair-money-and-politics-never-work-in-a-directly-straight-line/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

> [I joke about it being a millstone, but it never hurts to have a name that sticks out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-joke-about-it-being-a-millstone-but-it-never-hurts-to-have-a-name/)

[Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/#itemlist",
            "name": "4 Campaign finance Quotes By Zephyr Teachout",
            "numberOfItems": 4,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "The structure of private campaign finance has essentially pre-corrupted our politicians, so that they can't even recognize explicit bribery because it feels the same as what they do every day.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Zephyr Teachout"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/the-structure-of-private-campaign-finance-has-essentially-pre/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_the-structure-of-private-campaign-financ_1286287.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_the-structure-of-private-campaign-financ_1286287.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_the-structure-of-private-campaign-financ_1286287.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“The structure of private campaign finance has essentially pre-corrupted our politicians, so that they can't…” — Zephyr Teachout",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Wealthy individuals have always had the capacity to influence politics, of course, but only after two key campaign finance cases - Wisconsin Right to Life and and Citizens United, have they been able to do it in such a large and blatant way.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Zephyr Teachout"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/wealthy-individuals-have-always-had-the-capacity-to-influence/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a6/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_wealthy-individuals-have-always-had-the_1520476.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a6/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_wealthy-individuals-have-always-had-the_1520476.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a6/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_wealthy-individuals-have-always-had-the_1520476.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Wealthy individuals have always had the capacity to influence politics, of course, but only after two key…” — Zephyr Teachout",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Talking to Republicans who aren't leaders - that's not very difficult both on anti-trust and on campaign finance reform. I think it's a lot more complicated when you talk to highly funded leaders - that's the innate, deeply problematic part of our politics.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Zephyr Teachout"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/talking-to-republicans-who-aren-t-leaders-that-s-not-very-difficult/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_talking-to-republicans-who-aren-t-leader_2583982.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_talking-to-republicans-who-aren-t-leader_2583982.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dca/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_talking-to-republicans-who-aren-t-leader_2583982.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Talking to Republicans who aren't leaders - that's not very difficult both on anti-trust and on campaign…” — Zephyr Teachout",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "If the publicly passed campaign finance laws had not been struck down by the Supreme Court, Club for Growth Action would be illegal, and Heritage Action wouldn't have the SuperPAC threat to back up its small ad purchases.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Zephyr Teachout"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/if-the-publicly-passed-campaign-finance-laws-had-not-been-struck-down/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/zephyr-teachout-3069_action_if-the-publicly-passed-campaign-finance_2839358.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/zephyr-teachout-3069_action_if-the-publicly-passed-campaign-finance_2839358.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2c/zephyr-teachout-3069_action_if-the-publicly-passed-campaign-finance_2839358.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“If the publicly passed campaign finance laws had not been struck down by the Supreme Court, Club for Growth…” — Zephyr Teachout",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/",
            "name": "Campaign finance Quotes by Zephyr Teachout",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d9/zephyr-teachout-3069_campaign-finance_the-structure-of-private-campaign-financ_1286287.jpg"
            },
            "description": "4 Campaign finance quotes by Zephyr Teachout. Plus more from Zephyr Teachout and more Campaign finance sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Campaign Finance",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Zephyr Teachout",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaign-finance/zephyr-teachout/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```