Much of Bernie Sanders’s wide-ranging platform, from aggressive climate action to canceling student debt, has been well-discussed and is a major reason for his strong popularity. But one aspect of his political vision has been less examined: the overhaul of our dysfunctional campaign finance system.
Currently, economic inequality translates into profound political inequality. Less than one half of 1 percent of Americans contributed over $200 in the 2018 federal election cycle, providing 71 percent of overall funds. Unsurprisingly, the donor class is disproportionately white, wealthy, and conservative. And post–Citizens United, outside political spending (that which is supposedly not in coordination with a campaign) has skyrocketed, leading to increased political power for a handful of billionaires. When popular left policies are up against such stacked odds, they don’t stand much of a chance.
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