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Can it be done? Can American citizens roll back the actions of Congress and a conservative activist Supreme Court that are working to transform a flawed democracy into a plutocratic state? Currently, the situation looks grim with political changes already occurring on federal, state and local levels.
Money has always played a role in politics, with corporations, unions, and wealthy people contributing funds to candidates for office. Donors then have access to those who have been elected, being able to influence the laws and regulations that are subsequently instituted. However, limits on the amounts that can be contributed to politicians have been legislated at times (McCain-Feingold 2002) to try and reduce the quid pro quo that occurs, but often, the funds have been given under the table to escape any restrictions that are in place.
Though backroom deals and illegal campaign financing undoubtedly still happens, they are no longer necessary as federal actions have made virtually unlimited funding of political campaigns by wealthy citizens lawful. Because of this, plutocracy is inevitable in America, with control of the government in the hands of the wealthy and the guaranteed passage of laws that will disproportionately benefit them instead of the electorate and nation as a whole.
The Supreme Court with its conservative leaning started the plutocratic ball rolling, when the justices’ handed down the Citizens United and McCutcheon rulings that equated the spending of money on political issues with freedom of speech. These were highly partisan five to four decisions, with Republicans lining up on one side and Democrats on the other. The rulings allow corporations, unions, and the very wealthy to spend their money with essentially no restrictions to elect candidates whose positions are in harmony with their views. In another gift to the plutocrats, funds by the affluent can be contributed anonymously and tax-free to non-profit 501(c))(4) corporations that can use the money to support or attack political positions and candidates, as long as some amount is being spent for charitable purposes.
Yet another gift was handed to the very affluent by Congressional politicians last year with a rider attached to the budget bill that had absolutely nothing to do with the budget. In their infinite wisdom, Congress multiplied the contributions the wealthy could donate to political parties by a factor of twenty. Previously, McCain-Feingold had restricted the amount a person could give a political party to $32,400 annually. The budget bill increased this to $324,000, doubling that sum for the two year election cycle, and raising it to $1,296,000 for a married couple. This is obviously legislation that will not affect the average American citizen. But the money is peanuts for many multi-millionaires and billionaires, and will provide them with even more access to lawmakers.
Given the opportunity, those champions of American plutocracy, the Koch brothers, have decided to raise the stakes their political network will employ in the 2016 campaign, to elect men and women to state and federal offices who reflect the Koch views. Their organization will utilize nearly $900 million dollars (perhaps a few hundred million more if necessary) in this election cycle, about the same amount the political parties intend to spend (if they can raise that much). The Koch funds can be used for television and online advertising, monopolizing the best spots early, and for political organizing, targeting voters who appear to support their candidates and making sure that they cast their ballots. (Hooray for free speech.)
Because of the actions of the very wealthy and their clandestine organizations, the political system is already in the process of transformation as shown in recent elections for state and federal offices. The presidency has been the exception, but its capture by the plutocrats is merely a matter of time. These extremely affluent individuals want a smaller government with less rules and regulations that limit businesses, especially the fossil fuel industries. They also want to dampen union activity, reduce taxes, fewer redistributive policies that aid the poor and middle classes, minimum wages kept in check, and so forth.
With the Supreme Court and Congress supporting the move towards plutocracy and with more and more money being injected into political campaigns, can anything be done to reverse the process? Public financing of campaigns are necessary with strict restrictions on donations to candidates and the elimination of 501(c)(4) organizations in politics. This will never happen with Republicans controlling Congress and the Supreme Court. American voters need to take more of an interest in politics and be informed about the actions of their state and federal governments. With enough pressure from an electorate that cares and makes funding of campaigns an issue, perhaps sometime in the future a constitutional amendment can be passed that limits money in politics, nullifying the plutocratic control of the government. It won’t be easy with all the wealth arrayed against reform.
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
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Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020