Is Money the End of Democracy

             "According to one study of the 1992 congressional elections, less than 1 percent of the population provided candidates with 77 percent of their money" (Jezer 2). Thus, the overwhelming majority of a candidate's funds come from the wealthiest people in our nation. These prosperous contributors have become power brokers, like the party bosses of old. In effect, the wealthy vote using their money, they have the ability to choose which candidates will have the financial resources to run competitive campaigns, allowing only certain candidates to have the resources to win an election. Furthermore, if a candidate were to win, he or she would owe their benefactors privileged access to the legislative process. Furthermore, elected officials will be favorable to a benefactor to ensure money for their re-election.
             It is very true that money is an important resource to campaigns, and that sometimes more money is needed in elections. Yet, what counts is who is giving the money, who is getting the money, and what those who are giving get in return! .
             When taken into consideration, most important political decisions are made in legislative hearings before a bill is voted on. Large and complex bills with hundreds of pages offer easy cover for legislators to vote with the incoming money promoting special interests. As a result, special interests target their contributions to members of legislative committees who have command over issues that concern them. For instance, members of the House and Senate banking committees would probably expect contributions from banks and other financial institutions.
             Outside of the legislative process, the millions of dollars given to candidates help control one of the largest agents of "political socialization, mass media, the main source in which people conceive their political views" (Patterson 181). During heated campaigns, candidates who have financial resources flood the airwaves with ads: "In recent decades, studies show that citizens say television is their main source of news, rather than the newspaper" (Patterson 215).