Politics and money have been intertwined with each other since there was ever a need for someone to rule and people had items of value to give them. But now, people want that to change. “Draining the swamp” of the capital touted by President Trump — along with the popularity of Sen. Bernie Sanders — there seems to more of an more of an outcry for getting money out of politics and getting rid of “career” politicians. This is also exemplified by the disdain most people have for the one percent who people feel run this country.
While most politicians will run on a campaign of pulling money out of Washington as well as running smear ads against their opponents for taking money from nearly anyone, they are receiving money from interest groups. It’s expensive to run for a public office, you need to pay for advertisements, travel and be able to step away from your usual source of income in order to campaign.
Through PACs and contributions, an average person would be able to run, without a need to already have plenty of spending cash to blow on an election that is either all or nothing. This helps keep the idea that anyone can run for an office and win it. This is also way we pay our representatives, if we didn’t then only the lavishly wealthy would be able to leave their sources of income for a non-paying role.
This where the catch comes into play: you either need to have enough money to run for office, or you need to fundraise it from elsewhere which usually involves taking money from special interest groups as long as you adhere to their agenda. If you don’t pass legislation that those who fund your election want passed, or if you try to create bills in order to limit the amount of funds a politician can take, you certainly can lose your funding for reelection. Politicians will toe the line saying they can’t be bought, and they’re right – kind of – because they have already been paid.
What can we as citizens really do to change this aspect of politics that we hate so much? We really can’t. While it may seem hopeless, we are still living in a democracy where we have the ability to vote whoever we want in and out of office. It’s up to us to see where politicians are raising money and who is willingly giving it to them, this allows us to see how they might vote on future issues. It is also possible for you to let your representatives know by phone or email that you don’t like that they take money from a specific PAC or interest group. Just remember, elected officials work for you.
Logan Carr is a freshman studying political science at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Let Logan know by emailing him at lc300918@ohio.edu.
