'Money in politics' isn't the problem you think it is

Follow the small money!

All the money in the world cannot help candidates with unpopular messages.
(Image credit: Wei Yan/Masterfile/Corbis)

If there's anything that progressives believe without question, it's that money badly corrupts American politics. Most also think the problem has become exponentially worse since the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision opened the door to a flood of additional money by unregulated (and often anonymous) individual and institutional donors. The result is rank corruption, as the super-rich mold our politics to benefit themselves and screw everyone else.

What we thus need is a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and institute the public financing of political campaigns so that politicians can be freed up to do what's best for the public and not what's best for those holding the cash.

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Damon Linker

Damon Linker is a senior correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also a former contributing editor at The New Republic and the author of The Theocons and The Religious Test.