TheUnitedStatescallsitselfthe“beaconoffreeanddemocraticcountries”.However,thelasttwoUSpresidentialelections,bothfeaturingelderlycandidates,actuallyreflectedtheplightofAmericandemocracy.SocialdisintegrationandpoliticalpolarizationaggravatethefailureofAmericandemocracy.ThereasonisthetightconnectionbetweentheAmericanpoliticalsystemandmoney,whichisadisadvantageofAmericandemocracy.Aftermanyyearsofaccumulation,thecorrosiveimpactsofmoneyonAmericandemocracyareincreasingdaybyday,whichaffectselectionsatalllevelsandtheoperationofAmericandemocraticsystem.IncreasinglycostlyAmericanelectionsThepresidentialelectionin2020onceagainhighlightedtheimportanceofmoney.In2020,thepresidentialelectioncost14billiondollars,with6.6billionUSdollarsinvestedinthepresidentialelectionand7billionincongressionalelections,whichcreatedanewrecord.Andinthesehugeinvestments,alotofmoneywasusedincampaignadvertising.TheBidencampaignteamspent582milliondollarsontelevisionadvertising,andtheTrumpcampaignteamspent342milliononadvertisinginthepasttwoyears.“Thosewhogetmoneywin”stillholdstrueBiden,withatotalcampaignexpenditureofmorethan1billiondollars,becamethepresidentialcandidatewhospentthemostfrom2019to2020,farexceedingTrump’s.Bidenwonmorethan80millionvotesinthiselection,aboutmorethan13dollarspervote.Americanpresidentialelectioncostsmoreandmoremoney.Sincethebeginningofthe21stcentury,electionexpensesofpresidentialcandidatesoftheRepublicanPartyandtheDemocraticPartyhaveincreasedrapidlyfrom700milliondollarsin2004to1billionin2008,2billionin2012,2.4billionin2016and6.6billionforthefirsttimein2020.Highelectioncostsgreatlyraisedthethresholdofrunningforpresident,makingitdifficultforcandidateswholackfinancialsupporttowin.Forexample,Harris,thevicepresident-electnowandthefirstblackwomanwhoranforpresidentoftheUnitedStates,announcedinDecemberlastyearthatshewouldwithdrawfromthe2020presidentialelection,sayingthatthemainproblemwasfund-raising.Ontheotherhand,afterannouncinghiswithdrawalfromtheUSpresidentialelectioninAprilthisyear,thebillionaireMichaelBloombergturnedtosupportBidenandinvested100milliondollarstohelpBiden’scampaign.Undoubtedly,thiswastorefuelBideninthesprintstageofthepresidentialelection.Judgingfromtheresultofthepresidentialelection,thepersuasivepowerofmoneyisevenmoreobvious.AccordingtostatisticsbytheBrookingsInstitution,Bidenwonin477countiesandTrumpwonin2497countiesinthisyear’spresidentialelection.Itseemsthatthereisabiggapinthenumberofcounties.However,theeconomicaggregateofBiden’s477countiesaccountedfor70%oftheUSeconomy,whileTrump’s2497countiesaccountedforonly30%.“Moneyfirst”isthethemeofAmericanpoliticaloperationIntheUnitedStates,“moneyisthebreastmilkofpolitics”.MoneycontrolsalllevelsofAmericanpolitics.Thelawnotonlystipulateslegalpoliticaldonationsandpoliticalcontributions,butalsoallowssomegrayzonesforfinancialsupport.In2014,thelimitonindividualcontributionstoallfederalcandidatesandpoliticalpartycommitteeswaslifted.Thismeansthattherichcandonatetomanyfederalcandidatesatthesametime,andtheycanalsodonateunlimitedmoneytothepoliticalpartiestheysupport.Inaddition,therearemanyillegal“secretmoney”constantlyenteringUSelections.WiththeeaseofthelimitationofpoliticaldonationsinAmericanlaw,itismoreconvenientfortherichtoparticipateinAmericanelections.The“superfundraiser”systemcanbypassthelimitationondonation.Itassignsthedonationsexceedingthelimittomanypeople,makingthemmeettheindividualdonationceiling,andfinallymakingallthemoneyworkforonecandidate.Thesuperpoliticalactioncommitteecanbypasssomerestrictionsonpoliticaldonations.Inadditiontoprovidingpoliticalcontributionsdirectlytocandidatesandpoliticalparties,therichandenterprisescanalsomakepoliticaldonationsthroughthesuperpoliticalactioncommittee.SeeingfromtherecentUSgeneralelections,thefundsraisedbysuperfundraisersandsuperactioncommitteeshaveincreasedsignificantly.Exceptforpoliticalelections,interestgroupsandlobbyingpoliticsarealsocloselyrelatedtomoney.Themoresufficienttheinterestgroups’fundsare,themorecapabletheyaretoinfluencepoliticaloperation.Generallyspeaking,interestgroupsinfluenceAmericanpoliticaldecisionsthroughlobbying.Interestgroupsarenotallowedtoprovidematerialbenefitstothepoliticianstheyarelobbying,butlobbyinginfluencespoliticians’policychoicesthroughinformation.Moneymakeslobbyingmoreeffective.WealthgapsdeterminethequalityofAmericandemocracyUndertheUSdemocraticsystem,notallAmericancitizenscanparticipateinUSpoliticaldecision-making.TheAmericanvoterqualificationhassomethingtodowithwealth,andthedifficultprocessofblackpeopleandwomenearningvoterqualificationillustratesthatpropertyisoneoftheimportantlimitingfactors.MoneyhasanimportantinfluenceonthepercentageofvoterturnoutinAmericapresidentialelections.Althoughtheturnoutratein2020isthehighestsince1900,itisonly67%.Aconsiderablenumberoflow-incomegroupsdidnotvote.Itisalwaysthepoor,theyoung,theuneducatedandtheethnicminoritieswhoareabsentfromtheelections.Inaddition,eligiblelow-incomegroupsarenotkeenonvotingbecausetheybelievethatnomatterwhoisintheWhiteHouse,hewillnotimprovetheireconomicsituation.Infact,thepolarizationbetweentherichandthepoorinAmericansocietyisbecomingmoreandmoreobvious.Atpresent,therichest10%intheUnitedStatescontrolabout70%ofthecountry’swealth,comparedwith60%tenyearsago.Ontheotherhand,wealthheldbythelower50%ofthepopulationcontinuestoregress.Perennialpovertyhasreducedtheirinterestinandinfluenceonpoliticsandpresidentialelections.ThepresidentialelectionintheUnitedStateshascompletelybecomeapoliticalgamefortherich.ContributedbyLingShengli,directoroftheCenterfortheStudyofInternationalSecurity,ChinaForeignAffairsUniversityTranslatedbyPanMeng