Big Money in Politics

The Problem

Polluters, the fossil fuel industry, and a handful of ultra-wealthy donors use money to drown out the voices of the rest of us in elections and policy-making.

Multiple Supreme Court decisions, including the disastrous Citizens United decision, opened the door for fossil fuel billionaires and polluting industries to pour exorbitant amounts of money to influence elections. This spending combined with a huge increase in dark money, comes in the form of misleading or false ads in support of anti-environment politicians or hampering our ability to achieve our environmental and climate priorities.

The result of so much Big Money in politics is a rapid shift in policies being passed by Congress and state legislatures that skew towards the fossil fuel industry and other corporate interests undermining civil liberties and environmental protections.

The Solution

We eventually need large-scale systemic changes to curb the influence of money in politics and give equal chance for the voices of everyday people. Access to our representatives in the halls of power shouldn’t be determined by our income, zip code, or color of your skin.  

Some solutions include:

• On the national level: We need to overturn Citizens United, remove corporate personhood, require more transparency in political spending, and pass campaign finance reform that empowers people and limits the influence of the fossil fuel industry, corporations, and ultra-wealthy donors.

• On the local level: Passing small donor public financing to empower local citizens and disclosure laws to shine a light on who is spending money to influence elections and lobbying.