Americ The People, For The Corporations - 1738 Words

America: By the People, For the Corporations I. Introduction Corporate money in politics has become an increasingly prominent issue in the political spectrum of the United States after the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision which lifted the cap on political contributions from corporations, thus increasing the influence companies have on the US electoral process (Shekar 71). This controversial court case brought the issue of non-voter influence on elected officials to the political stage and gave worry to many Americans who sought equal representation in government. In response to the worries of many of these voters, political experts and scholars have written at length on possible solutions to the problem, with three main†¦show more content†¦This large outspending of the American electorate by corporations has caused â€Å"candidates (to) adjust their ideologies, or their levels of polarization, in response to the(ir) funding environment†, shifting the representation in government from the views people to the needs of corporations who are now almost solely responsible for funding elections (Espinoza 1). This shift in representation represents an immense threat to the citizens of the United States and to democracy as a whole, as politicians have now begun to adjust their views to fit that of wealthy campaign contributors to continue to win elections. If politicians continue to care more about catering to large campaign donors than to the people who elect them, the government is no longer a representative system for the people, but a subsidiary of corporate interest. III. Background Corruption in America’s campaign finance system has been a continuous issue since the birth of the country, but it truly took shape after the Supreme Court ruled on the Citizens United v. FEC court case which allowed corporations to be considered people, and therefore protected under the first amendment right of free expression. This decision meant that business and other protected entities could use their substantial financial prowess to influence the political process (Wiist