SCOPE: I want to examine the effects corporate, or “big,” money has on United States politics. Ever since the Citizens United Supreme Court case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that restrictions on campaign contributions are unconstitutional, large corporations and political action committees (“PACs”) have had significant impacts on election cycles. The decision in that case set the precedent that “corporations are people” and that the more money someone has, the more say he or she has in politics. As a result, billionaires like the Koch brothers are able to donate millions to specific candidates and influence their views on certain political issues without restrictions. These unrestricted donations have caused fundraising competition among candidates during election season, with campaign costs increasing in recent years. In the preface of his book Big Money: 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp – on the trail of the Ultra-Rich Hijacking American Politics, Kenneth Vogel includes a quote by Barack Obama during campaign season in 2012: “In this election, I will be able to hopefully match whatever check the Koch brothers want to write” (Vogel, viii). The Founding Fathers envisioned a governmental system in which the people are represented by politicians who share their concerns and are public servants, not one in which a select few had the most say about in which direction American politics goes. Those in support of big money’s influence on politics might claim that it demonstrates how the U.S. gives people the opportunity to influence politics, unlike in other countries. This belief, however, further supports the Supreme Court’s decision that money equals speech, a philosophy not concurrent with America’s political foundation. Others may argue that the United States political system has always included a significant influence from big money, but the problem arises when restrictions on this influence are cut off. The massive contributions from PACs and billionaires in today’s political scene will only increase. The question then becomes “How will this change the system in the future?” I will also examine statistics showing the rates at which money’s role in politics has increased and how those rates correlate with the public’s perception of politics. I will examine the idea that the more influence these extremely rich individuals and corporations have on politics, the more discouraged the general American electorate is about participating.
VALUE: The basis of American politics is democratic republicanism. The founders, having fresh memories of being ruled by a monarch, wanted a political society in which the people were fairly represented. Big money’s influence in politics today has been the subject of many grievances about United States politics, especially among the general public. People do not seem to think they have as much of a say in which legislation is passed or in who is elected, some even saying that their vote does not count. How, then, should the United States progress when a very small group of individuals with a lot of money are able to push and pull the political agenda as they please? Is the country’s structure really as it should be under the founders’ standards if the people do not want to participate in government as much anymore? Does big money have that much of an effect on politics at all? Are there ways to increase the electorate’s political efficacy? Would overturning Citizens United be a positive step towards reaching increased political efficacy or would it not change the United States’ political landscape at all? By learning more about big money’s influence in politics, the American electorate can more effectively demand change, a tactic the Nick Penniman writes in his article “Rotten to the core” is one of the only ways to change the system.
ORIGINALITY: Several political scientists have written books and articles discussing the role big money has in today’s political scene. For example, I found Kenneth Vogel’s book, which even in the preface addresses my topic extensively. Articles Nick Penniman’s “Rotten to the core: with political integrity drowning in big money, it’s too late for small tweaks. The whole system needs a reboot” discuss the problems associated with having big money in the American political system and its implications. Although there is plenty of research regarding the problem of big money in politics, I also want to bring in research from the other side that believes wealthier influences in politics are beneficial. Database articles like the one I found from CQ Researcher have opinions from both sides of the debate, which will add to my research even more.
PRACTICALITY: There are multiple books, scholarly journal articles, periodical articles, and database articles covering my topic that go into extensive detail about it. I will use the book and articles I mentioned above as well as other articles I found online to prove my points. In addition to these secondary sources, I will try to find raw statistical data showing the rates at which corporate money’s influence has increased. I may also include information about Citizens United and why it is important to my topic. Unfortunately, I had to request some of the articles I found because they are not in the library and Vogel’s book is online only. I will try to find physical books that cover my topic to make it easier to do research.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
- Borosage, Robert L. and Ruy Teixiera. “The Politics of Money.” Nation 263 no. 12 (1996): 21-23.
- Demaris, Ovid, Dirty business; the corporate-political money-power game (New
York: Harper’s Magazine Press, 1974).
- Jost, Kenneth. “Campaign Finance Debates: Should regulations be loosened further?” CQ Researcher, 20 no. 20. (2010): 457-480.
- Penniman, Nick and Ken Davis. “Rotten to the core: with political integrity drowning
in money, it’s too late for small tweaks. The whole system needs a reboot.” Sojourners Magazine 41, no. 8 (2012): 16-20, 22.
- Kenneth Vogel, Big Money: 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp
– on the Trail of the Ultra-rich Hijacking American Politics (New York: PublicAffairs, 2014).
This is a really unique topic, and the fact that it is specific will make it easier to research and will provide a really interesting viewpoint. One thing is that you never said why this is the biggest issue of the twenty-first century. You can definitely make that argument since the United States has such an influence on a global scale, you just never directly said it. In the originality section you do a good job of providing sources, but you didn’t say what made your research different than the rest. Other than that, your proposal is really well-structured.
I think you did a good job in narrowing down your topic. It also helps that this topic is extremely relevant today, so you will have plenty of resources to pick from. Discussing why “wealthier influences may be beneficial” also provides another side to the story that I’ve never heard before. I saw this ted talk that reminded me of this topic; it discusses how America’s “republic” has basically always been structured to only involve a small percentage of citizens. You should definitely check it out!! https://www.ted.com/talks/lawrence_lessig_we_the_people_and_the_republic_we_must_reclaim?language=en#t-151353
This is a very important topic as it involves America’s democratic ideology and challenges whether the individual voter even have a say in politics anymore. The structure of the essay is great and it will have numerous talking points. I especially like how you brought up how “Big Money Politics” has benefits as well. I think people are so focused on having their democracy taken away that they don’t focus on the positive. My only criticism is to explain possible solutions for this problem so the reader can have some insight.