American politics is broken, but not in the way most people think. The problem isn’t just the money – it’s where the money comes from.
Since Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America” in 1994, we’ve watched congressional races transform from local contests into nationalized referendums. Every House and Senate race has become a proxy war for party control, with millions of dollars flooding across state lines to tip the balance in competitive districts. A senator from Montana doesn’t answer primarily to Montanans anymore – they answer to donors in New York, California, and Texas who will fund their next campaign or their next primary challenger.
This nationalization has produced exactly the dysfunctional Congress we deserve. Members have little incentive to break with party leadership, even when it would serve their constituents. Compromise becomes politically toxic when your next primary opponent will be funded by ideological purists from across the country. The old ethic of “bringing home the bacon” for your district has given way to performing for national audiences and donor networks that will never cast a vote in your election.
