The relationship between money and politics traces back to the colonial era especially in 1759, in his bid to join the House of Burgesses, George Washington used money, rum punch, and a fiddler to finance his election. Today, the influence of money has continued to significantly grow with the amount required to win an election also exponentially increasing. Research has shown that the candidates who ran for the 2016 federal offices used a combined $6.4 billion, a record amount (Burton, Miller, & Shea, 2015). In the wake of the increased spending, many Americans remain adamant that the quality of the representative democracy has also improved. According to the head of Democracy 21 Fred Wertheimer, "The bottom line is we have very serious problems with the functioning of our democracy caused by the unrestrained flow of influence-seeking money into the elections." As money continues to define the electoral process, the prospect for bribery and intimidation increases causing less wealthier candidates to lose party nominations, general elections, or even give up.
Donors and lobbyists have a significant role in shaping the politics of a nation. The constitution allows fundraisers as one of the main ways of funding an election. The donors and lobbyists are regarded some of the most significant powerhouses for money during an electioneering period. However, these contributors have been known to use what is referred to as the "legislative strategy" that can take two forms. The first one involves the buying of votes and the second one requiring that the benefiting elected officials provide policy favors. The second strategy that is normally used is known as the “electoral strategy." In this case, the contributors do not need to have any arrangement with the candidate (Mayer, 2016). Out of their will, they resort to autonomous support to a candidate who they believe will drive their organizational goal. As such, lobbyists will show an inclination towards a candidate with whom they agree in several policy areas. As such, this can only be interpreted as an interference with a democratic process especially by individuals who are supposed to demonstrate utter non-partisanship.
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Money also increases the prospect of corruption and bribery. One of the most prevalent types of corruption allegations during elections is voter fraud. Such cases are common at the state level and mostly occur in the form of selling votes. Surveys have also shown that money can guarantee the contributors to access the elected officials at the expense of the ordinary citizens. Mayer (2016) pointed out that the big contributors have secured the attention of the politicians in office because their resources enable them to be heard and receive favors in undue ways. Another significant problem that comes with the excessive use of money in politics is the fact that it can change the course of a tightly tied election. The money that was poured on organizing, media, and turnout tends to act in favor of the candidates that had money. As such, this affects the democratic integrity of the nation because leaders without means are discredited for the lack of funds rather than their competency.
The age of a billionaire president is enough proof that money has become an integral part of the politics in the US. However, this does not only occur in the general elections but also in the party primaries. The political parties in the country are no longer interested in the best candidate to drive the philosophy and values of the party but rather a wealthy individual who is able to put up a spirited fight in contention for the office in question (Gierzynski, 2018). As such, this has played an immense role in killing the ambitions of many candidates who have failed to make it to the final list of the elections. The Republican Party has in the recent past shown its propensity in giving the primary ticket to renowned wealthy individuals such as the recent Donald Trump and John McCain. Also, most of the candidates that give up midway during the campaign journey do so due to dried coffers. Donors also abandon candidates once they feel that their chances of winning are minimal.
However, the Supreme Court provided a landmark decision in 2010 that has continued to make campaign spending more unrestricted. It would be foolhardy to ignore the critical role that the money plays in shaping the politics of any serious democracy. It is not always about the associated costs, but also about improving communication in the age of political information. In the case of Buckley v. Valeo, the court ruled said, "Virtually every means of communicating ideas in today's mass society requires the expenditure of money" (Burton, Miller, & Shea, 2015). Many scholars assessing the importance of money in politics have delved much into this point. Gierzynski (2018) asserted that the campaign money enhances information transmission because it is difficult for voters to gather on their own. Through efficient and well-funded campaigns, the electorate will receive both positive and negative information to assist in judging a candidate.
In conclusion, money in politics continues to be a largely controversial issue because it directly impacts elections and the entire democratic process. It has created an enabling environment for corruption and interference by proxies such as the lobbyists and donors who also act as the main contributors. Furthermore, it affects party nominations thus denying competent but modest candidates an opportunity to vie. With all these problems, it, however, remains crucial to understanding the importance of well-funded campaigns in providing the electorate with adequate information regarding the candidates and their opponents.
References
Burton, M. J., Miller, W. J., & Shea, D. M. (2015). Campaign craft: the strategies, tactics, and art of political campaign management: The strategies, tactics, and art of political campaign management. ABC-CLIO.
Gierzynski, A. (2018). Money rules: Financing elections in America. Routledge.
Mayer, J. (2016). Dark Money: How a secretive group of billionaires is trying to buy political control in the US. Scribe Publications.
