Restricting the Role of Money in Politics
By Dave McDiarmid, American Promise Ohio Volunteer
In what was likely the last interview given by Senator Ted Kennedy, weeks before he died of brain cancer in 2009, he was asked to describe what had changed in the Senate between the beginning of his tenure (1963) and the present. He mentioned that in the early days, senators went about learning the job of legislating — research, debate, public presentations, posting legislation — and in their sixth and final year, they started to dedicate some of their time fundraising for their upcoming campaign if they intended to run in upcoming elections. By the end of Kennedy’s career, the campaigning and fundraising started immediately upon being elected. In today’s world, campaigning and fundraising starts in a time frame measured, not in months or years, but in days after they assume office, often occupying half of a congressperson’s time.
It was during the Clinton Administration of the ‘90’s that I first became aware of two trends — a growing tendency towards partisan divide in the political arena and an alarming growth in the amount money spent on political campaigns. It seemed with each successive presidential campaign the dollars spent increased exponentially. The need to raise millions of dollars shuts many otherwise qualified candidates out of politics. Along with this escalation in the cost of running for office, the partisan divide has grown to staggering heights in the last four years. The rancor and vitriol have increasingly prevented us from having civilized and respectful debates between progressives and conservatives. Yet despite the current political climate, there is one topic which is supported universally along the political spectrum, and that is the need for reforming and controlling the role of money in politics.
Following World War II and into the 70’s and 80’s, there was a high level of confidence in Congress. Somewhere between 70 and 85% of Americans held confidence in and supported their legislators, according to Gallup. Today that confidence has eroded; 45 to 50% of Americans have little to no confidence in Congress. Senators and representatives now spend more time raising money than legislating. One major factor for this reversal is the role of dark money in politics, resulting in an ever-growing influence of a small number of billionaires and corporations in the political process. The Supreme Court’s ruling in 2010, Citizens United, opened the door for unlimited, anonymous contributions to people running for public office, eroding the ‘one person, one vote’ principle which is fundamental to American democracy. An overwhelming majority of Americans, including Republicans and Democrats, are opposed to the corrupting influence of dark money being donated to politicians running for office. While politicians participate in the money game, many would rather not have the need to fundraise every day of their tenure.
There are numerous groups working and supporting efforts to correct the injustices resulting from the money game. One of them, American Promise, focuses solely on this topic with an ever-growing cast of dedicated volunteers. American Promise promotes the passage of a 28th amendment aimed at addressing the harmful effects of dark money. All of America, including you, will benefit from these efforts, so please consider taking action with American Promise. Passing the 28th amendment would go a long way towards re-establishing confidence in our government.
