For many Americans, our electoral system can be described as "corrupt" and "undemocratic." How did the vision of a democratic republic as imagined by the Framers of the Constitution become "the best democracy money can by?" This episode of Democracy Nerd traces that evolution, looking at the past four decades of Supreme Court cases allowing unfettered "dark money" to influence national politics, the social and cultural impact of our current electoral system, and efforts currently undertaken by Congress to address the corrupting influence of money in politics. Guests include Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig, Congressman John Sarbanes, and Norman Williams, Dean of the Center of Constitutional Government at Willamette University.
