What the hell is wrong in Washington D.C?

Question

Why have lobbyists taken over our goverment?

Answer 1

That's elementary my dear Watson. Its called the "iron triangle" a phrase coined by I think John McCain. And he should know he works the system to his advantage as good as anyone.

The triangle consists of government tax enforcement and regulatory agencies, the legislators that oversee the agencies, and the companies and corporations that comprise the regulated or taxed industry, which is all of them.

It works as follows, the companies want favorable treatment or protection from unfavorable treatment. So they are willing to pay for this. Legislators are able to convert their political power into cash by selling their influence over the regulatory and tax agencies. The agencies themselves are the carrot and the sticks used by the legislators to reward or punish the companies.

Thus politicians like John McCain are able to demand large sums of campaign donations from various companies that are regulated by agencies under his influence. (google the S&L scandal).

The public is duped into accepting this because they believe that government regulation creates safer products or conditions. But regulations actually benefit the corporations by limiting competition. They benefit politicians by providing influence worth peddling. Regulators themselves benefit by being employed to enforce the regulations.

An example is the regulations for automobiles. Fuel economy standards, safety standards like seat belts and air bags all serve to limit competition by making it more difficult for new or small companies to become automobile manufacturers. While politicians use this authority to extract campaign donations from automobile manufacturers. At the same time, the fuel economy standards have caused more unnecessary deaths than have been saved by seat belt and air bag regulations.

Answer 2

Because washington and politics are, and always will be about money!

With few exceptions how many are truly not out for their own poltical future more than they are out fighting to truly solve the country's problems?

The solutions are simple...
yet only those who dont focus first on public service are the ones that have a need to cloud the issues for either their own political or monetary gains.

Answer 3

Party politics are considered more important then the nation by politicians. Same thing happened in the Roman Republic and that eventually led to a dictatorship.

Answer 4

Because our presidents and our Congress have allowed themseves to be bought since Reagan... this is not a conservative or a liberal thing, this is a greed thing by both sides.

In this sense they are united. When all is said and done, they are the same because they serve the same masters.

Answer 5

I like roadkill's answer. Politicians are an organized crime syndicate extorting protection money from corporate America. To put it in street languge, they are mobsters shaking us down.

Answer 6

They have the money to get the attention of the politicians and I don't.

Answer 7

I'm sure sombody will say the rich and elite rule the US.

Answer 8

It's not big enough for the population.

Answer 9

Love of money.

Answer 10

M O N E Y