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Democracy Chronicles

Money Politics: Lobbying and Corruption in America

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The pernicious influence of money politics has a long history in America, but recent years have seen more spending and less transparency than ever before. Get the latest news about American money politics below and also be sure to visit our main section on American Democracy.

money in elections
Cryptocurrency Industry Lobbying Skyrocketed In 2022 Cryptocurrency Industry Lobbying Skyrocketed In 2022 (3/15/2023) - The cryptocurrency industry's political influence expanded significantly as they spent $21.6 million on federal lobbying…
Tech Giants Broke Their Spending Records On Lobbying Last Year Tech Giants Broke Their Spending Records On Lobbying Last Year (2/8/2023) - Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp. broke lobbying spending records last year as they…
FEC Hikes Contribution Limits Ahead Of 2024 Election Cycle FEC Hikes Contribution Limits Ahead Of 2024 Election Cycle (2/8/2023) - Following historic 8% inflation in 2022, the [FEC] announced new contribution limits for the 2024…
Properly Funded NY Public Campaign Financing Can Make a Difference Properly Funded NY Public Campaign Financing Can Make a Difference (2/8/2023) - Small donors will have more influence in the upcoming election in New York thanks to…
Public Funding Can Dilute Big Money Influence On California Politics Public Funding Can Dilute Big Money Influence On California Politics (2/4/2023) - Implementing a matching funds program or a democracy dollars program is estimated to increase the…
George Santos, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Citizens United George Santos, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Citizens United (1/30/2023) - Ahead of 13th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision..., Washington was rocked by…
free speech
Hong Kong Tightening Its Grip On Foreign Journalists Hong Kong Tightening Its Grip On Foreign Journalists (1/30/2023) - With the arrest of Japanese photographer Michiko Kiseki Hong Kong's media repression has been expanded…
In Cameroon, Investigative Journalists Want More Protection In Cameroon, Investigative Journalists Want More Protection (1/30/2023) - After the murder of their colleague Martinez Zogo, a government critic, Cameroonian journalists have said…
ChatGPT Is Changing Education, AI Experts Say ChatGPT Is Changing Education, AI Experts Say (1/30/2023) - Newly-launched AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT is changing the internet landscape. It presents several opportunities, including in…
How Online Censorship Affects Internet Freedom in China (1/28/2023) - The sheer perseverance and linguistic ingenuity of activists and dissidents are impressive, but the Chinese…
How ChatGPT Hijacks Democracy How ChatGPT Hijacks Democracy (1/26/2023) - Launched just weeks ago, ChatGPT already poses a threat to how we draft everyday communications…
Study: Media Can Reduce Polarization By Telling Personal Stories Study: Media Can Reduce Polarization By Telling Personal Stories (1/26/2023) - Sharing personal experiences and pairing them with facts reduces political dehumanization and increases political tolerance.
transparency
World’s Biggest Democracy Is Jettisoning Freedom And Tolerance More Effort Is Needed To Open Election Data Globally (2/8/2023) - In more than 20 countries, voter turnout data is unavailable from official sources or the…
Only 1 In 4 Election Websites Uses The .gov Domain (10/20/2022) - We analyzed a dataset of election websites maintained by CTCL and found that, of the 7,010…
How To Properly Vet Poll Workers How To Properly Vet Poll Workers (9/30/2022) - Attention has been paid to rogue election administrators, but election results can also be manipulated…
November Election Audits, Anyone? (9/15/2022) - Tabloid-style assertions about the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath ignore a more nuanced reality…
Cyber Sleuths Take Aim At Election Disinformation Cyber Sleuths Take Aim At Election Disinformation (8/17/2022) - Despite continued election conspiracy claims, security experts who have spent years uncovering voting system problems…
Michigan Officials Detail a Brazen Voting Machine Scheme Michigan Officials Detail a Brazen Voting Machine Scheme (8/11/2022) - The Michigan attorney general's office discovered attempts to induce county clerks in three counties to…

money politics: an american story

According to election reform advocacy group Common Cause, billions of dollars have been spent on buying American elections since that ruling and much of it has come from completely anonymous organizations. At least six billion dollars amount spent on the 2012 election according to an estimate by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics. Candidates backed by huge one-time donations from the wealthy are inevitably more beholden to special interests. Money is exchanged directly for political favors, such as generous campaign donations for a lucrative government contract.

Money Politics
Corruption depicted by Thomas Nast – link

The problem with money politics is not so much the amount that is spent on campaigns as it is who pays for them, what they get in return, and how that affects public policy, spending priorities, and even war. Thanks to decades of rulings by Justices and politicians who molded the law to favor elite interests, corporations today are granted so-called “rights” that empower them to deny citizens the right to full democracy.

transparency in money politics

It is important to remember that transparent governments allow the public to review government practices as completely as possible. Increasing standards of transparency and accountability for decisions while adding controls for self-interested abuse of the democratic system. The federal law requiring partial or full disclosure of previously unreleased documents controlled by the government, the Freedom of Information Act, is not effective having been degraded by President George W. Bush’s OPEN Government Act (Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government) and President Barack Obama’s Executive Order 13526.

Also take a look the transparency reference websites Judgepedia and Ballotpedia that are also great references.

state and local money politics

Just how much cash is being spent independently on elections for state office or in the 39 states that elect their lower court judges? The answer is unknown in most states, according to the latest National Institute on Money in State Politics analysis of disclosure requirements for independent spending. They found that only fifteen states ‘require full disclosure of both forms of independent spending: express advocacy and electioneering communications’. Amazingly, twenty-six states fail to provide clear disclosure of election spending making state politics a perfect arena for corruption without any transparency.

public funding
Properly Funded NY Public Campaign Financing Can Make a Difference Properly Funded NY Public Campaign Financing Can Make a Difference (2/8/2023) - Small donors will have more influence in the upcoming election in New York thanks to…
Public Funding Can Dilute Big Money Influence On California Politics Public Funding Can Dilute Big Money Influence On California Politics (2/4/2023) - Implementing a matching funds program or a democracy dollars program is estimated to increase the…
Risks Ahead In SCOTUS ‘Independent State Legislature Theory’ Case Supreme Court Loosens Rules On Personal Campaign Loans (5/18/2022) - The court ruled that a federal limit on candidates using campaign donations post-elections to repay…
Mark Zuckerberg Ends Election Grants Mark Zuckerberg Ends Election Grants (4/15/2022) - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg who gave half a billion USD in 2020 to election offices…
How Public Campaign Financing Empowers Small Donors Nationwide How Public Campaign Financing Empowers Small Donors Nationwide (4/14/2022) - Mounting evidence...[shows] that public financing amplifies underrepresented voices and makes democracy work better for all…
Campaign Finance Vouchers Help Level The Playing Field  Campaign Finance Vouchers Help Level The Playing Field  (1/12/2022) - Seattle's novel way to level the playing field for candidates and voters called democracy vouchers…
corruption
Taking Cues From The American Oligarchy (2/20/2023) - The more the GOP has become complete obedience to their oligarch masters, the more they…
How to “Follow the Money” in a Political Campaign How to “Follow the Money” in a Political Campaign (11/9/2022) - Without the proper media coverage, campaign donations can be a complex labyrinth of dark money,…
Churches Are Breaking the Law by Endorsing in Elections (10/31/2022) - Churches fretted over losing their tax-exempt status for even unintentional missteps. But the IRS has…
NY Dems Send Voters Pre-Filled Absentee Ballot Applications NY Dems Send Voters Pre-Filled Absentee Ballot Applications (9/23/2022) - Democrats in New York State claim that this procedure can boost voter turnout. Republicans in…
US Political Dynasties Are In Decline US Political Dynasties Are In Decline (9/8/2022) - Political dynasties dominated US politics for several decades. However, it appears that their sway and…
Inside The Right’s Historic Billion-Dollar Dark Money Transfer Inside The Right’s Historic Billion-Dollar Dark Money Transfer (8/26/2022) - A dark money group led by Trump judicial adviser Leonard Leo, sponsored by mogul, Barre…
citizens united
George Santos, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Citizens United George Santos, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Citizens United (1/30/2023) - Ahead of 13th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision..., Washington was rocked by…
10 Ways Citizens United Is Damaging Our Democracy 10 Ways Citizens United Is Damaging Our Democracy (1/26/2023) - “Protecting democracy” was the top issue listed by voters as an “extremely important” reason they…
Here At The Crossroads, To Lead Or Be Led (8/1/2022) - We will only have a chance to save our imperiled democracy if we work to…
My Interview With DC Author Jack Jones (2/6/2022) - From time to time, it is nice to get to know some of the DC…
Justice Breyer’s Biggest Impact On Election Law Justice Breyer’s Biggest Impact On Election Law (1/28/2022) - With Stephen Breyer’s retirement from the Supreme Court, it seems appropriate to offer some words about…
Citizens United: A Supreme Court Decision That Shouldn't Have Been Enforced Citizens United Should Not Have Been Enforced (10/23/2021) - Citizens United is without a doubt the Supreme Court's most contentious recent decision. Repealing it…

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