Why there is too much money in elections

From the American Thinker - By Robert Weissberg - As the upcoming elections draw closer, let me make three predictions that I personally guarantee. First, they will set a record as being the most expensive ever, even accounting for inflation. Second, all the usual do-gooders and reformers will complain that this money undermines "democracy" and something must be done. Third, all efforts to curtail lavish spending (e.g., limits on individual contributions, public funding of presidential elections, transparency of donations, etc.) will fail, just as before. This hand-wringing about evil money sidesteps the reasons for the increase. Contrary to what reformers insist, soaring spending is not about an epidemic of donor greed to subvert some "public good." The sharp increase is about expanding government power -- big, fat government itself, not nefarious contributors, is the culprit. In a nutshell, heightened generosity reflects Washington's growing intrusion into every corner of our lives. Big-money donations are largely defensive. Nobody gives millions unless necessary, and if government can issue a few rules that might devastate your business, out comes the checkbook, and the greater this potential impact, the greater the generosity. It is no accident that the upturn in campaign donations almost exactly parallels the explosion of Washington's meddling that began in the 1960s and now seems unstoppable. Indeed, savvy office-holders have long known that the most efficient way to boost campaign donations is to propose an odious regulation. By necessity, the targeted industry will respond by hiring more lobbyists, who will then guide campaign donations so as to defeat the proposed rule. Read more:

Why there is too much money in elections