EXPOSED: 5 Ways Big Money Made Politics More Divisive

When it comes to American democracy, money talks. And lately, it’s been shouting over everyone else.

For decades, corporate lobbyists and anonymous donors have been quietly turning American democracy into their own personal VIP lounge. 

While the rest of us were busy arguing about paper straws and jean ads, they bought and collected lawmakers like Pokémon cards.

With billion-dollar lobbying efforts and anonymous dark money campaigns, these ultra-wealthy groups have tilted the playing field in their favor, drowning out the voices of many for the benefit of a few.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way. 

If we want a democracy that reflects all of us—not just the highest bidders—we need to understand how we got here, what it’s costing us, and where the path forward begins. 

Here’s how big money bought our democracy—and what Americans can do about it.

1. How Big Money Rigged the Rules

Over the last few decades, our political system didn’t just drift toward inequality. It was nudged. Hard.

A major push was the Citizens United decision in 2010, when the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and outside groups could spend unlimited money advocating for or against political candidates.

The money couldn’t go directly to the candidates, so a nifty workaround was devised: super PACs. These turbo-charged political action committees raise unlimited funds and spend them on advertising campaigns, effectively allowing corporations and outside groups to shape the narrative.

The only catch? Super PACs are not allowed to “coordinate” with candidates. But in practice, the line is so blurry it might as well not exist. For example, a candidate will upload internal polling data, ad scripts, and voter targeting info to a public website that is barely promoted. But anyone “accidentally” stumbling across it (say, a super PAC with millions to spend) would find a detailed strategy guide. 

Then there are dark money groups, which pour significant sums of money into super PACs. These groups often operate through nonprofits and shell companies, which are not required to disclose their donors, even when spending heavily to influence elections. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for voters to know who is trying to influence them.

Meanwhile, lobbying has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Pharma, oil, finance, and tech giants spend millions to sway policy outcomes in their favor. 

2. Public Trust Pays the Price

It’s not just policy being distorted. It’s our trust in democracy itself.

As more Americans believe politicians are bought and sold, cynicism grows. Why vote if corporations decide the outcome? Why speak up if the system is rigged?

That sense of disillusionment hits hardest in already marginalized communities, where civic trust was fragile to begin with. People disengage. Turnout drops. And the cycle of inequality deepens.

A 2023 Pew survey found that only 16% of Americans say they trust the government in Washington to do the right thing just about always or most of the time. That’s near historic lows. And much of it traces back to the role money plays in warping policy priorities and drowning out everyday voices.

3. Policies That Favor the Wealthy

Policy decisions in the U.S. reflect the preferences of corporations way more than the general public. 

And that’s not just a hunch. It’s backed by data. 

A landmark 2014 study by political scientists Martin Gilens (Princeton) and Benjamin Page (Northwestern) found that economic elites and organized business groups have a huge influence on policy outcomes, while average citizens have “a near-zero impact” when their opinions conflict with those at the top. A 2023 study confirmed that the wealthy’s stranglehold on politics remained strong in the U.S. and most of northeastern Europe..

That plays out in all kinds of ways, including:

• Tax codes that favor the wealthy.
• Deregulation that helps big business but harms workers and consumers.
• Budget priorities that funnel resources to defense contractors while public schools and infrastructure go underfunded.
• Working-class voices, rural communities, and communities of color get drowned out
  

4. The Dark Money Echo Chamber

Dark money groups flood the airwaves with political messaging without revealing who’s behind it. This gives interest groups the ability to shape narratives, spread misinformation, and stir up outrage—all while staying anonymous.

In 2024, Axios reported that at least 1,265 websites were backed by dark money or masquerading as local news sites for political purposes. These dark money sites are now greater in number than independently funded local newspapers. And many of them are targeted at swing states, a clear sign that they’re designed to influence politics. 

5. The Future Doesn’t Sell as Well as the Present

Moneyed interests tend to favor policies that maximize short-term profits, not long-term well-being. 

That means climate policies get stalled because fossil fuel donors want to protect their bottom line. And healthcare reform gets blocked by insurance and pharma money.

These short-term, money-first policies widen the divide between rich and poor. They’re all about quick wins for wealthy donors, while long-term problems—like crumbling schools, sky-high rent, and families stuck in poverty—are ignored. 

What You Can Do About It

Most Americans agree that big money is a big problem.

Campaign finance reform has strong bipartisan support. A 2023 University of Maryland poll found that 85% of Americans, including 81% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats, support limits on outside spending in elections.

Transparency is popular, too. That same poll found broad support for requiring full disclosure of who funds political ads and campaigns. People want to know who’s behind the message—and who’s pulling the strings.

One major reform proposal is the DISCLOSE Act, which would require dark money groups to reveal their major donors and report their political spending in real time. While the act is generally championed by Democrats, many of its core provisions poll well with Republicans, even if GOP lawmakers have blocked it in Congress.

Another way to check the outside groups would be to increase oversight and enforcement powers for agencies like the Federal Election Commission (FEC). 

Right now, the FEC (which is in charge of policing campaign finances) can barely keep up. It’s split evenly between three Democrats and three Republicans, which leads to frequent deadlocks. The fines the FEC issues to offending politicians, PACs, and dark money groups are often late, weak, or nonexistent.

Reformers have proposed giving the FEC more independence, real subpoena power, and changing the number of seats from six to five (two Democrats, two Republicans, and an Independent tiebreaker) so it can make moves faster.

(These changes were included in the For the People Act and Freedom to Vote Act, but both face strong opposition in Congress.)

Democracy Isn’t For Sale

When we talk about polarization in America, there are a number of contributing factors. But money in politics is a massive accelerant. It funds the outrage. It amplifies the extremes. And it leaves regular people feeling ignored, manipulated, and powerless.

But this isn’t how it has to be. The tools to fix it already exist—and the will is there. Americans may disagree on a lot of things, but on this, we actually agree: our democracy shouldn’t be for sale.

To change the system, we don’t need to agree on every policy. We just need to agree that everyone should have an equal voice. And once we start from that shared value, the rest gets a lot more possible.

—Alex Buscemi (abuscemi@buildersmovement.org)