Is US democracy being bought and sold? How corporations, unions and political action committees are shaping the candidate pool
On February 1, Super PACs were required to disclose the identities and dollar amounts of those who contributed to them through the end of 2011. Restore Our Future, the Super PAC that supports Mitt Romney, has raised by far the greatest amount at $30.2 million. Winning Our Future, the Super PAC that supports Newt Gingrich, has raised $2.1 million through 2011. After the reporting period ended, however, the Super PAC received $10 million from multi-billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson.
Robert Reich, former US Labor Secretary and chairman of the nonpartisan citizen lobby Common Cause, explains how the Citizens United ruling allows corporations and wealthy individuals to donate unlimited funds and influence elections.
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This infographic shows the political clout of the richest one one-hundredth per cent of Americans, who contribute a quarter of all the funds given to federal political campaigns.
Former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer has cast himself into the ballot as a presidential candidate. He has not been invited to any of the televised Republican debates because he has not met the minimum 2 per cent level of support. In the New Hampshire primary, he earned less than one per cent of the votes. Despite low support, he has vowed to stay in the race even if it becomes "a thorn in the side of the Republican party." A central part of his platform is campaign finance reform. He is not accepting any PAC, Super PAC, or corporate donations and has capped donations from individuals at $100.
Dylan Ratigan hosts his own television show on MSNBC where he frequently criticises the relationship between corporations and the government. He was formerly a managing editor at Bloomberg LP and host of CNBC's <i>Fast Money</i>. He left both posts after what he believed to be the US government's mishandling of the 2008 global financial crisis. Ratigan frequently criticizes the government's banking, trade, and tax policies and expresses solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. This video shows him addressing the Occupy crowd in New York City during the early weeks of the movement.
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Ratigan recently released his first book <i>Greedy Bastards</i>, which argues that money has a corrupt influence in US politics.
Ratigan labels the relationship between outside money and politics as an "unholy alliance." He highlights parts of the political process that need reform, such as closed primaries and gerrymandering, and offers his solution to the problems.
Ratigan is vocal about his desire for a constitutional amendment that bans outside money from entering politics. He also proposes Congress pass a 100 per cent tax on campaign funds until the amendment passes.
Ratigan is currently spearheading a campaign called <a target="_blank" href="http://getmoneyout.com">Get Money Out</a>. The website asks citizens to sign an online petition to show their support in removing all outside money in politics. The map below shows the locations of the 250,000+ Americans who have signed the online petition as of February 1.
Outside spending on political ads in the current Republican primary is up 1,600 per cent compared to 2008, largely due to the Super PACs which funded almost half of the ads. This animated ad is sponsored by the pro-Gingrich Super PAC Winning Our Future, which tries to equate Mitt Romney's policies with Barack Obama's.
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Winning Our Future also produced a short documentary entitled "Blood Money," which has a considerably sinister tone. The documentary highlights the connection between Bain Capital, a company co-founded by Mitt Romney, and Damon Corporation, a company found guilty of Medicare fraud.
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Pro-Romney Super PAC Restore Our Future has produced its own set of negative campaign ads. This particular ad is not by a Super PAC but directly from Mitt Romney's camp, highlighting Gingrich's monetary gain from the home foreclosure crisis in Florida.
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The <a target="_blank" style="" href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/">Sunlight Foundation</a>, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes greater government transparency, created a scathing video condemning the Citizens United ruling and what the organization believes will result in a marred 2012 election as a result.
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A protester at Occupy Philadelphia voices his thoughts on why money should not intermingle with politics.
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This video shows Goldi, a member of the Occupy movement, calling the current US political system a "failed democracy" and urging citizens to help get money out of politics by signing the online petition at <a target="_blank" href="http://getmoneyout.com">Get Money Out</a>.
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Well-known public figures and celebrities have also voiced their frustration with money's role in politics. John Rzeznik, lead singer of the band Goo Goo Dolls, explains why the US needs campaign finance reform and calls for a crackdown on PACs and Super PACs.
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A survey by the <a target="_blank" style="" href="http://www.people-press.org/2012/01/17/super-pacs-having-negative-impact-say-voters-aware-of-citizens-united-ruling/">Princeton Survey Research Associates International</a> reveals only half of Americans are aware of the Citizens United ruling that allows for unlimited independent expenditures to Super PACs. The majority of those who are aware of the ruling see it as a negative influence.
The majority of those polled, across all political party affiliations, agree that the Citizens United ruling allowing for Super PACs have a negative effect in the political campaigning process.
This infographic shows spending by politicians and donations by lobbying groups in 2010, which was the first election cycle in which the Citizens United ruling was put into effect.
This cartoon lampoons the Citizens United decision, showing the US Supreme Court protecting the interests of big corporations at the expense of everyday citizens.
This cartoon accuses US President Barack Obama of promoting policies depending on his campaign contributions. Some believe money has corrupted the political process in both the Democratic and Republican Parties and the entire US political system.
