In our post-Citizens United government, corruption is perfectly legal, and we let politicians get away with it. According to the Sunlight Foundation, from 2007 to 2012, the top 200 most politically active companies in America spent approximately $5.8 billion influencing the legislators who are meant to represent the American public. Those 200 companies received $4.4 trillion in taxpayer support, government benefits and tax breaks for their efforts. While big money special interests laugh all the way to the bank, the American public is left penniless.
Perhaps the worst part of this issue is the fact that we, the American public, continue to vote these corrupt politicians into office. A quick look at Hillary Clinton’s top donors over the course of her career paints a frightening picture. Her top donors include Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley; all of which, obviously, do not try to promote what is in the best interest of the American public. On the other hand, Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has received almost all of his donations from labor unions and trade associations.
Although I disagree with Sanders on most issues, he certainly is right when it comes to his position on money in politics. As a strong opponent of political corruption, Sanders has refused to start a super PAC affiliated with his campaign. According to PolitiFact, Sanders’ campaign also sent a cease and desist letter to an unaffiliated PAC that had pledged its support to Sanders. It’s about time someone stood up against big money interests in politics.
Not helping the matter is the fact that this isn’t a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans accept millions of dollars to beef up their campaigns. For every David Koch, there is a George Soros. Politics is an expensive business, and someone has to fork over the big bucks.
According to nonpartisan advocacy group United Republic, the political candidate with the most funds wins the election 91 percent of the time. In order to win, candidates running for a Senate seat in 2014 needed to raise over $14,000 per day. With the increasing cost of running a campaign, it’s no wonder why politicians are turning to elites for help.
The question is, what can we do to fix it? We have to pass legislation that limits the power of these elites. The elites are the ones in control of the process to pass legislation and don’t want to hurt themselves. It seems like quite the conundrum. There are politicians who are starting to stand up against money in politics, but they are few and far between. Although we don’t yet have the support, we do have a framework. The American Anti-Corruption Act is a model piece of legislation that is designed to end corruption at all levels. Created by former Federal Election Comission Chair Trevor Potter and a team of constitutional attorneys, the legislation aims to stop bribery, end secret donations and put the power of government back into the hands of the American public. The American Anti-Corruption Act is our answer to this evil, but it can’t work if it’s never passed.
Without the backing of Congress, Americans are taking a stand to create reform from the ground up. Across the U.S., citizens are starting local initiatives to defeat corruption. From there, they are working up to the state level and finally to the national level. These local initiatives have been passing with enormous supermajorities. The goal is to replace every corrupt politician with one that supports reform from the lowest level of government to the federal level.
We are in a pivotal moment in American politics. Money and elite power have increased exponentially. Politicians no longer represent their constituents; they represent Wall Street. It’s time that we take a stand to end this elite-run legislative tyranny. The American Anti-Corruption Act is the solution, but we must first elect politicians who put the people first. Let’s take back our country.
Ben is a freshman majoring in political science. What do you think about corruption in politics? Do you think it affects our current elections? Please send all comments, questions and concerns to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
