“[I]n a 2002 study, researchers Stephen Ansolabehere, John de Figueiredo, and James Snyder found no connection between contributions and roll call votes, but it would be incorrect to infer that they have shown that money doesn’t affect results. That is not their claim. Indeed the authors expressly describe how, despite their finding, it is “still possible that campaign contributions have significant effects on economic and social policies.” Their claim, instead, is about what the numbers can show. Compare: if you had flown a reconnaissance plane over the campuses of every church whose clergy have been charged with sex abuse, I doubt you would have captured images of sex abuse anywhere. But it would be idiotic to state that that lack of evidence proves there was no sex abuse.”
–Larry Lessig, responding to his critics and supporters in the Boston Review CU symposium.