Fighting Money in Politics: Democracy’s Overlooked Challenge

Our American democratic system is broken. Amherst students know this: many of us have gathered in the Cole Assembly Room to hear how its demise will impact our futures, signed the pledge to support pro-democracy movements, and expressed our discontent on social media platforms like Instagram or Fizz. What we do not focus on enough is a major reason why: in today’s elections, the candidate with the most money almost always wins.

The campaign finance problem is often overlooked because it seems impossible to reform — in 2010, the Supreme Court affirmed its opinion in Citizens United v. FEC that any limitation on “independent” corporate election spending is unconstitutional, and the current conservative majority on the Court is not expected to stray from that position. Because of Citizens United, political power in America has shifted dramatically towards wealthy corporations and billionaires like Elon Musk, while the voice of the average American is quieter than ever. As a result, Americans on all sides of the aisle have lost trust in our democratic process—a Pew Research poll conducted last month found that 72% of Americans (including 78% of Democrats and 66% of Republicans) view the role of money in American politics as a very big problem, the highest percentage of any issue polled.

Though the problem may seem bleak, those working to change the system have made great progress, and there is much that the student body can do to help. This semester I am volunteering with American Promise, a nonpartisan organization committed to the ratification of the For Our Freedom Amendment, which would restore the ability of state legislatures and Congress to regulate election spending. I believe this amendment would be a huge first step in fixing many of the democratic issues we face today. With the power to limit the disproportionate political influence, our governments can more accurately reflect and respond to the will of the people.

Massachusetts is one of 23 states that have already passed resolutions indicating they would ratify the amendment, but it needs support from at least 15 more states and two-thirds of Congress to achieve ratification. It may sound daunting, but momentum is on our side: Conservative state legislators across the country are beginning to realize how important this issue is to voters on all sides, as Utah became the 23rd state in support this past week and other red and purple states like Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Arizona have resolutions currently in consideration. I urge my fellow students to help keep the momentum going — reach out to your federal and state representatives (especially if you’re from one of the 27 states not yet ready to ratify) and tell them why you support this change!

Questions about the amendment or how you can get further involved can be directed to @[email protected].