Money is Power; Power is Politics
Money certainly affects the behavior of people. It affects people's shopping habits, their education, their political leanings, as well as the people they associate with. In a capitalist society like America, money dictates day-to-day life in almost all facets. The most apparent way money dictates living is when it determines whether or not a person can buy items to fulfill their basic human needs. If a person does not have enough money to do this, they might commit criminal acts to compensate for the lack of it. They may also incur debt and take out a loan.
On a larger scale, the flow of money and who has it has a surprising level of influence in American politics. Wars are waged behind it, people imprisoned for it, and legislation passed because of it. The Netflix documentary "The 13th" does an incredible job of explaining how private prison owners have lobbied the government to allow unnecessary mass incarceration for profit. It also shows the way money influences legislation through political organizations, companies, and lobbyists funding campaigns.
It is not good that money can control our government because there is such a profound wealth gap in America where the rich represent only a small minority of Americans. Therefore, this minority can not accurately represent the needs of the general population. Since the rich have so much power over the government, America has been built off of their best interests, not the majorities' interests. A major talking point during the Democratic debates was about the donors the candidates had. Many candidates tried to show that they were not beholden to rich campaign donors or companies. Hopefully, this signifies a political shift that will result in a more equal representation of Americans' desires in legislation.
On a larger scale, the flow of money and who has it has a surprising level of influence in American politics. Wars are waged behind it, people imprisoned for it, and legislation passed because of it. The Netflix documentary "The 13th" does an incredible job of explaining how private prison owners have lobbied the government to allow unnecessary mass incarceration for profit. It also shows the way money influences legislation through political organizations, companies, and lobbyists funding campaigns.
It is not good that money can control our government because there is such a profound wealth gap in America where the rich represent only a small minority of Americans. Therefore, this minority can not accurately represent the needs of the general population. Since the rich have so much power over the government, America has been built off of their best interests, not the majorities' interests. A major talking point during the Democratic debates was about the donors the candidates had. Many candidates tried to show that they were not beholden to rich campaign donors or companies. Hopefully, this signifies a political shift that will result in a more equal representation of Americans' desires in legislation.
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