The Root Cause of Big Money in Politics

Many are upset that wealthy people like Elon Musk and other special interest groups are making large political campaign contributions. Some believe that money and greed harm the democratic process and that we should get money out of politics. The question we should be asking is why do so many special interest groups spend millions of dollars on political campaigns in the first place? Is it because these special interests care deeply about defending individual liberty and the ideals of the US Constitution? The economist Walter E. Williams responds that “A much better explanation for the millions going to the campaign coffers of Washington politicians lies in the awesome growth of government control over business, property, employment and other areas of our lives... The greater their power to grant favors, the greater the value of being able to influence Congress...” (p. 96-97). If we are worried about politicians granting privileges at the expense of other Americans, then we should consider curbing the government’s power to grant those privileges.

Reference

Walter E. Williams (2008). Liberty vs. the Tyranny of Socialism: Controversial Essays. Hoover Institution Press.