To what extent does money impact the American political process?

Money plays a big role in the American political process today. Without significant amounts of money, it is very difficult to get elected to any major state or national office. Candidates must be able to fundraise millions upon millions of dollars to have a chance at winning an election at the state or national level.

Without money, candidates will have a very difficult time getting their message to the voters. They won’t be able to...

Money plays a big role in the American political process today. Without significant amounts of money, it is very difficult to get elected to any major state or national office. Candidates must be able to fundraise millions upon millions of dollars to have a chance at winning an election at the state or national level.

Without money, candidates will have a very difficult time getting their message to the voters. They won’t be able to run commercials on television without sizeable amounts of money. They must hire many staff members and advisors to help run an effective campaign. They must be able to distribute flyers, conduct polls, and rent out office space. They need to be able to travel quickly to many places. These activities are very costly and require large sums of money.

Even at the local level, money is becoming an issue. We are starting to see ads for school board elections and ads for local judge positions. Those candidates who don’t have much money are finding it virtually impossible to win an election. For good or for bad, money is essential in today’s political process, especially at the state and national levels.