The Easiest Way to Make Government Work: Take The Money Out of Politics

Show me a person in this country who isn’t completely fed up with our political system and I’ll show you a bridge for sale in Brooklyn. Then again, why would anyone have faith in this failed enterprise we call a government? We elect politicians who tell us that if we cast our vote for them, they’ll “shake up the system.” But no one ever does. And if they try, the special interests quickly take them out. The politicians in leadership are all bought and paid for by special interests and corporate lobbyists. If a politician refuses to do the bidding of special interests, they’ll find someone who will. 

Almost every major industry has a lobbyist: big banks, corporations, pharmaceutical companies, insurance giants, and the list goes on. That’s why those industries pay little to no taxes, successfully fight against any and all regulations, and continue to make record profits. They then take those record profits, buy more lobbyists, elect more candidates to do their bidding, and gain even more influence in Washington and Columbia. It is a cycle that perpetuates the failed and corrupt system of government that is slowly ruining our country.

Once a candidate is elected, whether it is for the state legislature or Congress, this corrupt system forces them to constantly fundraise for the next election. Both the state and federal house of representatives hold elections every two years. The state senate elects its members every four years, and the US Senate every six. None of these offices are subject to term limits. A competitive state house election can cost each candidate upwards of $100,000. A competitive Congressional seat can cost each candidate a few million. State Senate and US Senate campaigns can cost $250,000 and tens of millions, respectively. Campaign finance laws put limits on individual contributions, therefore candidates are forced to always find new donors to fuel the never-ending campaign. 

This constant fundraising forces politicians to weigh their votes, not in the favor of their constituents, but in the favor of wealthy donors. If they vote in the interest of the rich and powerful, they will be rewarded. If they do not, their opponent will reap the reward. Unfortunately, the poor and downtrodden do not have lobbyists. It is as simple as that. If a politician goes after labor unions publicly, big corporations are more willing to send them a check. When a politician ridicules health care reform, it means instant cash from big insurance companies. Tort Reform? The tobacco company’s check is in the mail. The list goes on.

There is one easy solution to the problem of government being for sale: simply take it off the market. If you took money out of politics, and forced candidates to talk about the issues that are important to voters, and not the special interests, you might actually find honest politicians who understand who it is for whom they work. If each candidate from the two major parties (and one independent) received the same amount of money from the government, say, $20,000 for a state house race, or $50,000 for congressional candidates, while outside contributions became illegal, imagine how different campaigns would look. Each candidate for elected office would receive a government stipend (paid for by closing tax loopholes on big corporations) and could not spend more than that allotted amount during the election. No more bribes, no more special interest money, just fair, honest and clean elections. 

And how about equal air time on television and radio for each candidate for larger offices like Governor, US Senate, and President? Campaign advertisements are bought and paid for by big oil companies, big banks, and insurance companies who have a direct financial stake in the election. They literally spend billions of dollars every year to make sure they can skirt their taxes, avoid environmental regulations, and keep making record profits by sending American jobs overseas. Imagine if those companies could instead use that money to hire new American workers. They could still hire lobbyists, but without money, lobbyists are just citizen activists. Instead of using 80 percent of their time on fundraising, taking the money out of politics would give politicians an opportunity to start getting engaged in their districts and communities. 

Politicians and the courts have also said that money is seen as “free speech” under our constitution. But in reality, those same politicians who benefit from money in politics, appoint the judges. It is literally one big game of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” Each election cycle, though only roughly 15 percent of voters approve of Congress, a staggering 95 percent of incumbent members of Congress get re-elected. This is a clear sign that our current form of democracy is not working.

Some think term limits are the way to go. I wouldn’t disagree. But if you took the money out of politics, you wouldn’t need term limits. Elected officials would no longer work for special interests, they’d finally work for you. 

Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?

Tyler Jones is a Democratic strategist based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. He is the former Executive Director of the South Carolina House Democratic Caucus. Most recently, he co-founded the progressive organization South Carolina Forward Progress.