This was the fourth election cycle without spending limits since 2010, when the Supreme Court decided Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and removed the remaining guardrails on money in politics. Donald J. Trump was on the ballot in three of those four elections, supported by a refrain of “drain the swamp”, eliminate the “deep state”, and destroy the “elite”. In 2024, a growing populism fueled Trump’s victory and gave the Republicans the Senate and the House of Representatives, with a mandate to bring power closer to the people. A proven method of constitutional populism can…
