Richard N. Goodwin

Business corporations and wealthy individuals have successfully purchased influence and votes in America’s government through their financial contributions to political officials and parties, argues Richard N. Goodwin in the following viewpoint. The enormous amount of dollars flowing into America’s political system has corrupted it in favor of those who contribute the most, he contends. Goodwin, a former assistant to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, argues for strict limits on political giving and spending in order to remove the influence of “money power” on government.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What great object of the Constitution has been nullified by money, according to Goodwin?
2. What sorts of favors do political contributors expect, according to the author?
3. What historical precedent...