Title: How Can the Convention of States Project Help Curb the Corrupting Influence of Money in Politic

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Attached File: Article19-HowCanSOSACurbtheCorruptingInfluenceofMoney_COSA122022.pdf

How Can the Convention of States Project Help Curb the Corrupting Influence of Money in Politic

Created: 2024-02-08 15:21:16

Updated: 2025-02-08 19:00:01

Published: 2024-02-08 03:00:00

Converted: 2025-03-29T15:13:41.028456138

American taxpayers have 

lost multiple billions of 

dollars on companies owned 

by big political donors who 

received federal funding 

and then went bankrupt. 

    
HOW CAN CONVENTION OF STATES 

ACTION HELP CURB THE CORRUPTING 

INFLUENCE OF MONEY IN POLITICS?

Updated November 2022

MOST AMERICANS are legitimately 
suspicious of lobbyists and big-money 
political donors…so much so, that the 
Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision 
sparked its own Article V movement. 
 
But an Article V Convention to limit the 
power and jurisdiction of the federal gov-
ernment and establish spending controls 
and term limits upon its officials gives 
the states the power to propose amend-
ments that can address this problem in a 
variety of ways.

Big-money donors are not usually ideo-
logically motivated, but they do expect 
favorable treatment for themselves or 
their business interests once their candi-
date is sworn in as a legislator. We believe 
taking away the favors politicians have 
to dispense will dry up this money and 
restore the level playing field Americans 
hold dear, far more effectively than con-
tinued attempts at a regulatory solution…
for which someone always finds a work-
around, anyway.

One of the most common means for 
politicians to reward their supporters 
is through regulatory exemptions. An 
amendment that prohibits members of 
Congress from exempting themselves and 
their friends from the laws they make for 
the rest of us not only enjoys the unanimous 
support of voters we’ve surveyed, but also 
removes a powerful incentive for business 
owners to attempt to “buy” candidates. 

A companion amendment removing de 
facto lawmaking authority from unelected 
bureaucrats will help prevent members of 
Congress from hiding these activities from 
voters. Such amendments will also help 
locally-owned businesses compete more 
effectively with large corporations who can 
afford lobbyists and attorneys to keep them 
in compliance with ever-more burdensome 
and complex federal regulations. 
Americans agree that a business should 
succeed because it offers a superior product 
or service to its customers…not because it 
has friends in Washington.

Another vehicle for cronyism rests in the 
power of politicians to use taxpayer money 
to invest in and award grants, loans, and 
loan guarantees to for-profit businesses. 
Why should the politically connected 
get to shake down the American 

Continued on back page

Americans agree that 

a business should 

succeed because it 

offers a superior 

product or service to 

its customers… not 

because it has friends 

in Washington. 

Continued from front page

taxpayer when they couldn’t convince 
local banks and investors to fund their 
projects? American taxpayers have lost 
multiple billions of dollars on companies 
owned by big political donors who received 
federal funding and then went bankrupt. 
Moreover, when the federal government 
invests in businesses, even as it regulates 
them and the financial markets in which 
they function, it acts as both referee 
and player. This creates an additional 
dimension of conflict-of-interest that 
everyday Americans find unacceptable. 
The only way this practice will be stopped 
is for the states to propose and ratify an 
amendment prohibiting it; there is too 
much power and money involved to expect 
Congress to reform itself.

Finally, term limits can serve to disrupt 
the ability of lobbyists and big donors to 
groom and maintain politicians. Term 
limits are wildly popular among voters, 
but many legislators have serious and legit-
imate reservations. There are two reasons 
that legislators opposed to term limits can 
feel good about supporting our initiative:

The state legislatures, not Convention of 
States Action or voters directly, are in the 
driver’s seat at the convention. Our applica-
tion provides the opportunity for term limits 
to be discussed, but in no way guarantees 
that they will be included on the agenda, 
much less adopted or ratified. Those who 
oppose term limits will have the opportunity 
to argue forcefully against them, and states 
may instruct their delegation to vote “no” if 
such a measure comes to a floor vote.

Momentum for term limits is largely 
driven by dissatisfaction with legislators 
over the issues and abuses discussed 
above. When common sense reforms 
are adopted to curb these abuses, the 
pressure for term limits will likely sub-
side. It may seem counterintuitive, but 
our application offers the best avenue to 
avoid term limits because it has the po-
tential to remedy the root causes behind 
the push for them. Absent such mea-
sures, term limits will continue to gain 
popular support. 

Otto von Bismarck once compared laws 
to sausage. He said it’s probably best if 
people don’t watch them being made. 
Here at Convention of States Action, 
we’re working to put the kitchen in plain 
view of the diners.

(540)441-7227 | CONVENTIONOFSTATES.COM | Facebook.com/ConventionOfStates | Twitter.com/COSproject