Money+and+Politics

**Money and Politics Exposed:**
Click [|here] to visit site OpenSecrets.org, an organization that provides clear and unbiased information about money's role in politics and policy.. They aim to inform and engage Americans and expose disproportionate or undue influence on public policy.
 * Click [|here] to explore the distribution of money in the Presidential 2016 elections.
 * Look at graphs to see which presidential candidates use outside money or candidate committee money on their campaign.
 * Click [|here] to view lobbyist spending over the course of over 15 years. Browse the tabs to view top spenders and ranked sectors.
 * Go here for money raised by SuperPACs
 * 2016 Top Donors to Outside Spending Groups to liberals and conservatives

**[[image:WhiteHouseSouthFacade.JPG width="80" height="53"]]Trump Inaugural Committee (2017)**
More than 25 Billionaires Poured Millions into Trump's Inaugural Committee, Forbes (April 19, 2017)

Report of Donations Accepted, 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee


 * Videos exposing the truth behind money in politics: **

[|How Does Money Corrupt Our Government?]

[|Corruption is Legal in America]

[|How a Bill(ionaire) Becomes a Law(maker)]

[|Money in Politics: What's the Problem]

**Money and Politics in the News:**
Click [|here] to browse a continuously updating list of news articles relating to money in politics from the Huffington Post.

[|Here are the Top Super PAC Mega-Donors from the 2014 elections]

[|Ben and Jerry's founders were arrested] on April 19, 2016 at a rally against big money in politics, which took place in Washington DC.

[[image:Screen Shot 2017-03-19 at 11.31.41 AM.png]]Campaign Financing Court Decisions
** [|Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 2010] ** The court ruled that corporations, unions and other special interests have a constitutional right to spend as much as they like to advocate the election or defeat of political candidates.

Since that decision, independent spending has skyrocketed.

Facts of the Case and Votes of the Justices

[|McCutcheon v. FEC, 2014] The court ruled that the law cannot restrict the number of candidates to whom a donor can contribute.
 * With the overall contribution limits eliminated, an individual donor who elects to give the maximum to every presidential, House and Senate candidate could spend up to $3.6 million per election cycle. And all of that money could be solicited by a single candidate, who would have a powerful incentive to follow the donor's wishes.

How can we end the corruption?
[|Video example] of the first anti-corruption act passed in Tallahassee, Florida.

[|TED talk Lawrence Lessig] "There is a corruption at the heart of American politics, caused by the dependence of Congressional candidates on funding from the tiniest percentage of citizens"