EYES on the PRIZE.

• Author: WARNER, RICK
• Position: Money in politics - Brief Article

FOCUS: Special Interests Give Millions to Politicians to Buy Access and Influence

TEACHING OBJECTIVES

To help students understand the role of money in politics, specifically who gives how much to whom--and what donors expect in return for their contributions.

Discussion Questions:

* Many Americans believe that giving money to candidates and political parties falls under the constitutional protection given to freedom of speech. Do you agree?

* In September, Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) and Rick Lazio (R), candidates for a U.S. Senate seat from New York State, agreed to stop running ads funded by soft money. Do you think presidential candidates should do the same?

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES

Before Reading: Write this question on the board: Why do people donate huge amounts of money to political candidates? Critical Thinking/Writing: Lead students through each of the groups listed, stopping to note the main interest of each. Do students know what a "special interest" is? Tell them that the term has taken on a pejorative connotation because many people assume it refers to groups that essentially bribe candidates to buy influence over legislation. But are special interests always bad?

Break students up into five or more "special interest" groups. Their job is to identify a local or state problem, project, or issue in the news. (Examples: school construction, pollution, crime, homelessness.)

Next tell interest-group members they can meet the presidential candidates to pitch their issue. They have just a few minutes of candidates' time. They must write talking points they would use in trying to persuade the candidates about the need for legislation or government funding to ease the burdens on their special interest. Debate: Students can debate two questions: (1) Are large campaign donations the equivalent of bribery? (2) Should political campaigns be financed exclusively with government money to remove special-interest influence? Web Watch: For online information on how much money the parties have received, check Federal Election Commission reports at www.fec.gov/. Look for "Campaign Finance Reports and Data," "National Party Transfers to States," and

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The candidates are spending more than ever before to get elected. But where do they get all that money? And what do the donors want in return?

Money makes the world go round. And nowhere is that truer than in presidential politics, where the road to the White House is paved...