Pay-to-play endangers our democracy

Over 60 percent of polled Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. A possible reason may be the limited choice of one candidate from two parties, viewed by many as two sides of the same coin.

One reason Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are getting attention as anti-establishment candidates is because many citizens now believe that the “real rulers in Washington are invisible, and exercise power from behind the scenes,” as Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter said in 1952.

Or, as Sen. William Jenner said in 1952, “We have operating within our government and political system, another body representing another form of government – a bureaucratic elite.”

Third party candidates have no hope of inclusion under our current flawed, pay-to-play electoral process. Green, Libertarian and other well qualified candidates seeking new directions in foreign policy, health care, etc., are rarely covered by the corporate press. Sanders, an Independent, by running as a Democrat, only then became eligible to participate in debates, becoming a viable contender.

Political innovation can change our impaired political process. Let’s consider public financing of campaigns. Countries with multiple political parties can increase healthy competition and improve democracy with wider representation.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 6:01 AM with the headline "Pay-to-play endangers our democracy."