Friday, October 16, 2015

Money in Politics

I do not believe that the power of an individual's voice in politics should be determined by how much money they can spend to get a politicians favor.
There is evidence that the politician that can raise the most money to support their campaign has a much greater chance of winning. This isn't surprising due to the fact that psychological studies show that people are easily swayed by sheer volume of advertising in a candidates favor.
When one person holds more influence than others, the system no longer becomes a true democracy as it takes a step in the direction of aristocracy.
This also has the effect that individuals who can spend large sums of money on campaigns will get policies that benefit them. This is very evident even in our own Representative Young, for example, who earmarked government funding for the construction of a highway interchange project that stood to benefit a real estate developer who raised $40,000 for Young's 2005 campaign.
When money is allowed to influence the political sphere of the United States, ultimately, no one benefits.
Like in the one paragraph that describes the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith, It is the entrepreneurial motive that drives the market process. When you disincentive that motive force by devaluing the voice of the people you create a stagnant society where only the few who can afford it will have their voices heard.

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