Money in Politics

Our current U.S. democratic system fails to serve the public’s true interest because our elected officials are obligated to serve the interest of wealthy donors and big corporations. The low- and middle-income classes are in the majority but unable to hold elected officials accountable because their votes are less valued than wealthy donors and corporate lobbyists. Therefore, we have limited influence on our government; in turn, many of us lose faith and/or interest to participate in our democracy.

 

The influence of big meat and dairy lobbyists on the government is a good example of our democracy turning into corporate socialism due to the money in politics. Meat and dairy companies are well-known for greenwashing their products with contradictory terms like “sustainable meat” and “humane meat”. But their well-funded interest groups also have greater influence on the decision-makers in the government. Therefore, the billions of taxpayer’s money is allocated for USDA Farm Subsidies and Bailouts in the Farm Bill.

 

Berkeley’s local democratic participation is strong and follows a legacy of civic engagement. Programs like Berkeley’s Public Financing can help voters to elect candidates who are not owned by individuals and corporations with deep pockets. But such programs continue to use public dollars to support campaigns rather than using it for social and environmental policies that are stalled or unimplemented due to lack of City funds. How would our democracy look like if new progressive leaders stopped taking funds and instead rely on free public forums and volunteers for their election campaigns?