National Elections
Parties, Money, and the Media have a strangle hold presidential elections.
Concentrated interests undermine the will of the people and pursue interests against the public good. The people have become divided while the oligarchs exploit the system and tyrants destabilize the country with populist rhetoric. Parties, money, and the media are the base of infleunce in our elections.
Political Parties
The two parties do not give voters a real choice.
In the nominating primaries, very few voters turn out to vote and the party's nominee is determined after only a few contests. Voters in primaries tend to be more ideologically extreme, equating to more extreme nominees. After the primaries, parties present their nominees to the general electorate. With the two-party system, there are only two options. There isn't a real choice for voters.
Money in Politics
The amount of money in politics delegitimizes the electoral process.
*Over 1.8 billion dollars was raised in the 2024 presidential election and over 15.9 billion dollars was spent on all federal elections. The outsized role of money undermines the democratic principle of equal representation, as wealthy donors and special interest groups gain disproportionate access to candidates and policymakers. This leads to policies that favor a few over the many and erodes public trust in government institutions. Moreover, the perpetual need for fundraising distracts elected officials from their duties, further entrenching inequality and prioritizing monetary interests over the public good.
*opensecrets.org
Media Influence is Destroying America
Legacy Media and Social Media have perpetuated fear and turned Americans against each another.
The media plays the most destructive role as various outlets play on fear for ratings. Different channels take ideological sides resulting in the promotion of their preferred candidates and the demonization of the opposition candidate. Topics in the media rarely discuss issues of the public good and mostly focus on the horse-race between the candidates.
Social media has become a cess pool of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Most often, no one knows the source of disinformation campaigns, whether they be foreign intelligence operations or disturbed individuals.
