What Donald Trump gets wrong about money in politics

[Commentary] Donald Trump thinks he knows what's ailing our political system — corrupt lobbyists buying off politicians in exchange for government favors. "Their lobbyists, their special interests and their donors will start calling President Bush, President Clinton," Trump has said. "And they’ll say: ‘You have to do it. They gave you a million dollars to your campaign." He usually goes on to state that since he doesn't need this money, he'll be freed from this corrupting influence. "I'm self-funding my own campaign," he's said. "It's my money." (That's not entirely true — Trump has raised several million dollars in unsolicited contributions, but he has loaned his campaign far more of his own cash.) But according to several campaign finance experts, Trump's analysis doesn't account for money's true impact on our politics. The real problem with our campaign finance system, they say, is not that it creates a quid pro quo in which donors are transactionally rewarded for their gifts, but that it elevates the priorities of the wealthy across the board.

"The influence is not nearly as crude as he puts it," says Richard Skinner, a policy analyst at the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks money in politics. "It is certainly accurate to say that these large donors are going to get better access to have their voices heard, but I think people give predominantly because they share the views of the candidates or are strong supporters of the party." Trump seems to imagine a direct line of influence from lobbyist to politician. But the real problem is a lot more complicated — and requires a different solution than the one he advances.