Democracy is being threatened right in front of the American public. However, most of our millennial generation realizes that the Supreme Court ruling five years ago on Citizens United made this possible—with a 5-4 vote. Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, Syracuse Law graduate, mentioned, “The middle class will never have a fighting chance as long as the wealthiest families control the [political] process.”

He refers to political candidates that become addicted to hefty donations from billionaires and large corporations. This really makes or breaks campaigns, since a huge marketing budget allows for television or online ads intended for mass manipulation.

Congress is in a stalemate per usual, but Barack Obama has the opportunity to keep his word and act on his political beliefs. “A better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark money for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time lifting young people up, with a sense of purpose and possibility.”

It would be a tragedy and anti-capitalism if a renovation project for a government building were handed to a certain corporation because of their huge contributions—to Republicans or Democrats. Fellow Orangemen, this is why we must support that Barack Obama issues an Executive Order that will require federal contractors to disclose political contributions.

Luis Gonzalez
Marketing and Strategic Management, ’16