The American Dream: Dollars over Democracy?
From the Massachusetts Bay Company to Google, corporations have helped shape America and our vision of what it means to be successful. Yet as corporations amass power and wealth, their influence grows beyond the economy, seeping into the political foundations of America itself. Today, the pursuit of profit often comes at the direct expense of our democratic values; equality and free expression are eroding more quickly each day. I have experienced this tension personally. When I became involved in 50501, my employer warned me that my participation could be seen as conflicting with the profit interests of our clients. Allowing corporations to place profit above democracy endangers America’s foundational civic ideal: power belongs to the people.
Corporate influence over politics is not a new phenomenon. From its earliest days, America has seen corporations operate not just as businesses, but as political forces. For example, well before the Revolutionary War, the Massachusetts Bay Company was not merely a trading venture, but was a joint-stock company formed and granted an English royal charter to establish and govern the English colony of Massachusetts Bay. In the 19th century, powerful railroad companies, like Union Pacific, wielded enormous influence over government decisions, which allowed it to secure massive land grants and corrupt politicians to funnel tax dollars to pay fraudulently inflated construction costs for the railroad. Thomas Jefferson recognized the risks that unchecked corporate power could, and would, play in America, writing to George Logan in 1816, “I hope we shall take warning … and crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and to bid defiance to the laws of their country.” These historical examples remind us that when corporations are allowed unchecked influence, they inevitably seek to reshape laws, institutions, and societies in their own image.
In the modern era, corporate influence over democracy has reached an unprecedented scale. The 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision—which recognized that corporations have a right to political speech, including independent political spending—unleashed a deluge of corporate money into American elections. In 2020, OpenSecrets.org calculated that in the decade since the Citizens United decision, the 10 largest individual donors have poured over $1.2 billion dollars into U.S. federal elections. Similarly, election-related, non-party spending swelled to $4.5 billion dollars, compared to approximately $750 million in the prior two decades. In a country where money talks louder than words, this has allowed wealthy interests (including Elon Musk) to drown out the voices of ordinary citizens. But monetary contributions aren’t the only way companies influence politics. Tech giants like Facebook and Google now shape public discourse by harvesting and selling user data for influence research and by controlling the information that people see and, by extension, what they believe.
And corporate influence doesn’t just operate on the grand political stage; it reaches directly into our lives. After watching the Trump Administration and DOGE begin to dismantle American institutions and the due process meant to protect us, I became enraged. I started looking for an outlet to use my energy toward protecting democracy. When I joined 50501, which is aimed at reclaiming our democracy for the people, I believed that I was acting as a patriotic and responsible citizen. Yet my employer told me that supporting 50501 publicly (done on my own time and without payment) could be seen as opposing the interests of our clients. This left me with a difficult choice: either exercise my rights as a citizen to condemn tyranny and risk professional repercussions, or remain silent to preserve my career. This is how democracy dies, not just through sweeping legislation or corporate lobbying, but through everyday acts of fear and self-censorship imposed by economic power.
"The Bosses of the Senate" by Joseph Keppler
Corporations often market themselves as champions of the American Dream, promoting slogans about opportunity, freedom, and success. They sell the idea that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve prosperity if they simply try hard enough. But behind the advertising lies a different reality—one where laws favor corporations and the wealthy, where the powerful suppress workers’ rights, and where social mobility is limited. Instead of creating pathways to success, many corporations erect barriers by influencing legislation, public policy, and now the President, to serve their own interests. True democracy—and the authentic promise of the American Dream—cannot survive when the economic system is rigged in favor of entrenched corporate power and the wealthy few. If the American Dream is to remain the national ideal, it must focus on a version of success that offers opportunities for all Americans.
Let me be clear: corporations themselves are not inherently at odds with democracy. At their best, they fuel innovation, expand opportunity, and help lift people into prosperity. But corporate power must be balanced by public good, where the definition of success extends beyond private profit. Today, however, success is almost invariably measured by market value and personal wealth, while the health of our communities, our environment, and our democracy are treated as secondary, or worse, irrelevant. A healthy democracy demands a better vision of success, rooted in civic responsibility, shared opportunity, and the belief that prosperity means strengthening bonds between people, not money in a bank account.
When corporations prioritize dollars over democracy, they not only distort public policy—they betray the very spirit of America. The consequences are visible all around us: rising inequality, voter disenfranchisement, environmental degradation, and a profound sense of alienation among Americans who feel they no longer have a voice. Democracy is not self-sustaining; it must be nurtured, defended, and renewed. Reclaiming it requires redefining what we value most—not the unchecked accumulation of wealth, but the creation of a society where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are realities for everyone. The American Dream is too precious to leave in the hands of corporations. It belongs to the people, and it is up to us to reclaim it. Despite the threat, I am still using my voice; will you?
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