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Big businesses are the biggest donators to political parties. They pitch in tens of millions of dollars to campaigns, and because of the large amount, they have more sway in the government. The corporations will do what benefits them most, not what is best for the entire population, and if that means manufacturing unsafe or unhealthy products then that is what will be done. For instance, food companies have donated $41 million on the promise by candidates that, once in office, will not make stricter regulations on e-coli protection (Jackson 33). E-coli is a deadly bacteria that infects many people every year, but in order to keep the donators happy it isn't regulated as heavily as it should be. .
Soft money fundraising also hurts consumers and taxpayers because they are the ones expected to pick up the cost. When a business makes a large donation, they are out of several million dollars. To prevent a major profit loss, they must hike up product prices. The consumer pays more for the product so that the company may break even. Also, many economists have speculated that this process has a major influence on inflation, especially as of late (Sifry 27). .
Campaign finance reform would help the country grow and develop as well. With the system working the way it is, perfectly qualified people who could possibly assist America from leadership positions are unable to contribute due to a lack of funds. .
The politicians who receive these large donations use the money to promote themselves and win elections; you cannot win if you don't have the money, the major factor in any political race. In the House, the candidate who spends the most money on their campaign wins 92% of the time, and in the Senate the bigger spender wins 88% of the elections. Knocking off an incumbent takes an average of $1,000,000, writes Paul Starr, American Prospect writer. With this high spending, and difficulty de-seating an incumbent, the candidate with better ideas who will honestly help the majority of the people more has basically no advantage in the election.
