The year 2014 is expected to be an exciting one in the world of politics, with both House and Senate elections in November as well as various smaller elections statewide. Many college students may feel like the midterm elections don’t matter as much as a presidential race, but in many ways there are more direct results from these votes.
Besides, the House and Senate produce and pass bills through Congress, which directly affects millions of Americans each year no matter their age or party affiliation; however, the average student seems to struggle with getting involved in politics, thinking it takes a hefty bank account to financially support your favorite candidate.
That isn’t the case, and there is a way to go toe to toe with the ever-increasing Super PACs (Political Action Committees).
With the widening wealth gap of the past few decades, the rich are getting richer and, in turn, they are pouring more money into political campaigns that align with their interests. Our founding fathers made it so the wealthy could not simply buy the vote, but 250 years of evolution has led us to the modern field of politics.
This is a landscape where lobbyists get things done behind closed doors and money has a way of influencing many decisions on Capitol Hill. The biggest change in recent years to political campaigns has been the introduction of the Super PAC that I mentioned earlier.
This is simply an independent committee that can raise unlimited amounts of money for corporations, unions or individuals, but must not directly support a party or candidate.
These Super PACs have found all of the loopholes in fundraising laws and are the ones responsible for not only the graphic and dramatic political commercials you see leading up to the elections, but also the copious amounts of flyers and letters either promoting a candidate or partaking in the borderline defamation of another candidate.
Millions and millions of dollars are put into these Super PACs with the help of wealthy individuals who wish to see a particular party in power, and they intimidate many candidates from continuing in elections who are without Super PAC support.
A candidate with a strong public image and logical political platform may easily be shut out by the large Super PACs that back candidates who might promise things like tax cuts for the wealthy or looser building regulations.
This is the landscape of elections today, but it doesn’t have to be this way forever. That’s where you, the student, come in.
Super PACs are daunting and many political activists question their usefulness in the betterment of our country. There is a growing grassroots movement that is challenging the Super PAC system and slowly winning, election by election.
This movement is just simply people who are passionate about a certain platform and are volunteering to spread the message to the voters. It turns out that using your right to vote and supporting candidates without breaking the bank is a growing trend among the lower and middle classes. While the Republican Primaries were in full swing in spring 2012, Atlanta’s own Herman Cain was able to rise drastically in popularity due to his unique platform and representing the untapped African American Republican demographic.
There are simple steps you can make to help the movement and keep huge spending committees from basically running each election. First, you must choose to pick a candidate based on what your beliefs and values are. Don’t let the crazy commercials and junk mail from these committees be your only resources on who the candidates are.
Second, just vote. Even if you don’t vote for every category, exercising your right to vote helps give you a voice in the community and country as a whole.
Lastly, volunteer for the party or candidate you support. Going to rallies, campaign events and fundraisers are great ways to feel connected without having to donate any money! Just think back to the 2012 election when Obama ran against one of the most well-funded Republican campaigns in recent history. Up against Romney’s Super PACs, Obama won the popular vote through outreaching (not outspending) to the community and rallying passionate voters––something money can’t often buy.
If more and more individuals become proactive about the election season, the Super PACs might slowly become obsolete. When these political action committees realize that individual ideas and passions far outweigh throwing millions of dollars at a campaign, and only then, there may be progress in politics.
Alas, those in favor of these Super PACs see nothing wrong with these committees’ unique twist on the First Amendment. The idea of free speech means different things to each citizen, but we can all agree that any information we hear about a candidate should never be taken at face value. It is up to us to think for ourselves and vote in our best interest, rather than the biased interest of the ever-growing Super PACs.
