Political Competition
Money in politics and captured institutions are hollowing out real competition and accountability.
Flawed political campaign regulations, amplified by the Citizens United decision dismantling campaign finance safeguards, have eroded public trust in politics and enabled politicians to be more responsive to money than to people. Further, the capture of independent institutions and electoral processes, increasingly egregious gerrymandering, and deepening economic inequality have severely limited real political competition. Political opposition and dissent are being systematically neutralized, intimidated, and threatened. The weakening of checks and balances in the U.S. has placed accountability at risk, as Congress and the judiciary struggle to fulfill their Constitutional roles. While civic and civil society mobilization for democratic norms and processes has increased in recent years and months, there is still no mass movement capable of reversing the authoritarian decline. The ability of the traditional media to play its role in public accountability has been weakened by legal and reputational attacks on select media outlets.