Former Congressmen John Cox and Don Manzullo will discuss the role of Super Pacs, Big Money, and the Polarization of Politics in America Tuesday, February 18, 2020, from 6-7 p.m., at Rockford University’s Severson Auditorium located in Scarborough Hall (next to the Colman library).

The program is co-sponsored by the Institute of World Affairs and Trade at Rockford University (IWAT), Rockford Public Library and 815 Choose Civility, and Dr. Ron Lee, Assistant Professor of Political Science.

John Cox and Don Manzullo represented the 16th Congressional District of Illinois. Cox, a Democrat, and Manzullo, a Republican, stated: “We are concerned over the massive amounts of money being poured into today’s elections as a result of the Citizens United case, which allowed individuals, corporations and others to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence campaigns through legal hoops with names such as ‘bundling,’ ‘independent expenditures,’ and ‘Super Pacs’. The Center for Responsive Politics said $4.5 billion has been spent in races over the past decade. This Big Money has created chaos in the political system, unfair advantage, and what amounts to the buying of political seats. In addition, these unbridled amounts of money have exacerbated an already hostile political environment where civility in public discourse has been on the decline.”

View the full media release here.