U.S. Campaign System hurts the Economy
by kathy@truthisbetter.org Last updated 2004-05-31

• In order to win an election, candidates must raise huge amounts of money to cover TV and other advertising.
• Large corporations often fund the candidates who will push through measures in Congress that benefit them and harm their competitors. See Tracking the Payback
• TV and print media outlets receive campaign advertising dollars.
• Big corporations who donate large amounts of campaign money gain power to obtain legislation beneficial to them.

• Laws favoring large corporations stifle competition from smaller businesses.
• Smaller businesses that cannot afford large campaign contributions, make up 85% of the economy, are more flexible, respond to economic changes more quickly, and stabilize the economy. So, the campaign finance system causes the unemployment rate to go up, and stifles technological innovation.
• The environment suffers due to economic pressures that large corporations bring to bear to reduce conservation measures.
• The large corporations may not like the shake-down for campaign contributions.
• The political system loses because politicians who want to be re-elected feel forced to vote the way their biggest donors want them to.
• Media that profits from the advertising dollars is biased towards the political party that votes against reforming the campaign system.
• Voters are influenced by biased media that do not completely report the facts.
• Long term well-being for all suffers due to short-sighted planning that the current campaign system encourages.

Billionaires for Bush Legislation humorously details how the current campaign system works.

Read about the Bush Pioneer & Ranger Donors' paybacks from the Bush administration.