Money talks, people walk, and billions of dollars seep into Congress’ pockets, ready to manipulate policies to the elite’s whim. When America was founded in 1776, it was established on the basis of democracy, with people having their voices equally heard in the national government. Our Founding Fathers emphasized these values through the phrase “for the people, by the people.”
Today, many of these voices have been stifled by the rising growth of megacorporations, interest groups and political billionaires that dominate Congressional policy. As the inequality gap grows, many wonder if America is an oligarchy – a government ruled by the few, typically by the elite – or a democracy.
In the recent 2024 election, the Federal Election Commission reported that President Donald Trump spent a total of $1.4 billion on his presidential campaign. According to OpenSecrets, a campaign finance and lobbying watchdog, large companies and organizations made up the bulk of the campaign’s funds, totaling nearly 70% of all contributions. The largest of these donations originated from Timothy Mellon, a railroad magnate, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, both of which were deeply invested in the race.
These investments are indicative of how the nation’s elite attempted to curry favor with the president throughout his campaign. Whether it be through Musk’s pro-Trump public spectacles, or TikTok’s CEO pleading for government intervention, many of the wealthy and powerful sought to benefit from the campaign. On Inauguration Day, many tech billionaires who aligned with Trump were in front-row seats, waiting to see the man they spent so much money on sworn into office.
As one of the largest contributors to the race, Musk rapidly rose to political stardom, riding with the president as a proponent of government downsizing while spending heavily for Trump to be in office. His largely public views and financial contributions led him to be appointed as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Although Musk’s rapid appointment into a vast, overreaching agency may come as a shock to some, it should be expected. While some may argue that Musk’s background in the financial industry improves his credibility toward bureaucratic efficiency, it does not excuse the questions of his impartial decision-making and interests swaying his judgment.
In fact, it undermines the trust the people have in the nation’s institutions and functions. His nomination as a department head instead sends a message: that like the nepotistic kings of the past, those who pay the most money and lip service will benefit from the president.
America has not yet transitioned to the oligarchy-based empire its detractors paint it out to be. While our country has had its ups and downs throughout the years, our central pillars of democracy, the checks and balances established by the Founding Fathers, still stand.
There is a risk coming to the federal government though. In his farewell address to the nation, former President Joe Biden warned of the “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people,” proclaiming that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy.”
With so few billionaires having a larger concentration of political power through their deep pockets compared to the average citizen, their increasing activism in America’s politics will usher in a dangerous era, one where the top 1% will come out holding the vast majority of the national power. The consequence of this negative influence shapes the lives of all Americans.
In the 2017 Trump tax laws, the top 1% received an average tax cut of more than $60,000, while the bottom 60% received less than $500. Furthermore, this vast disparity in benefits coupled with the many negative economic downsides created a 16.3% drop in GDP in the years following the Trump tax cuts. Moreover, an estimated $1.9 trillion was added to the national debt, highlighting how the growing disconnect between citizens and those making policies in Washington DC creates profit for corporations and the rich while ignoring the needs of everyday Americans.
According to a study by Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page, the top 10% of Americans hold 78% of the influence in public party representation in Congress from data on public preferences and policy outcomes based on the subset of 754 national survey questions from 1992-98. This is further reinforced by the 2011 book “Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress—and a Plan to Stop It” by Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig. Lessig asserts that members of Congress spend most of their time campaigning for reelection money, depending upon large donors and lobbying that they care more about those who fund them rather than serving the public interest.
As a consequence, the growing disparity in political representation and power has led to increasingly unfair policies, where many of the decisions made in Congress prioritize elitist interests over the needs of the public.
The wealthy elite are not the only ones who can shape Congress. Big corporations and interest groups also play a vital role in influencing the scales of power in the country, donating big funds to push big agendas. A few prominent examples in the recent election cycle include the National Association of Realtors, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, all of which have spent upward of $20 million or more on lobbying Congress, according to OpenSecrets.
Mixed with billionaire spending habits, this results in unfair influence in policy making. Billionaires often push most of their money toward conglomerate groups that represent their interests, bringing Congressional agendas toward their side, such as with previous policies like the 2020 CARES and 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Acts.
Despite the acts happening during two separate presidencies, they both had the same impact: bailing out big businesses and the elite rather than small businesses and individuals. The bailouts only reveal how their influence in policy making comes back around to benefit them rather than the people.
If we are to stop this troubling growth of oligarchist ideology, the first step is to pursue laws and policies that limit our politicians from benefiting from their own. As seen with Musk’s buy-in into a figurehead position at DOGE, the growing practice of billionaire elitist appointments into positions of power raises issues of governmental accountability and the use of government oversight for personal and corporate gain.
America’s Average Joe is being stifled and held back bit by bit, even through poor government control. One of these attempts at control resulted in the 2010 Supreme Court Case Citizens United v. FEC. Despite the government’s attempts to stem political donations from major entities, the court ruled that corporations and groups have free rein to spend as much as possible on candidates of their choice, indirectly weakening the ordinary American voter while rewarding those who fill the banks of our politicians.
Despite the controversies surrounding Trump, his first term had some ups, such as the lifetime ban for administration officials from lobbying for foreign governments and adding a five-year ban on other forms of lobbying. But the answer is clear: the people must advocate for our leaders to stem the influence of the silver spoon.
If we are to prevent an oligarchist rise in our system of government, our elected officials and government employees must not be another mouthpiece for the wealthy. The people must Make America Democratic Again, and our politicians should not be a foundation for the rich to collaborate and gain positions of power in our political systems. Make it for the people, by the people, not for the rich, by the corrupt.