Thomas Ferguson is professor emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston; the views he expresses here are his own and not those of any institution with which he is connected.
Big business has long held an outsize role in US politics. In a plague year, and as politicians prematurely push to reopen the economy, political scientist Thomas Ferguson argues that its place at the center of American life is more grotesque than ever.
Thomas Ferguson’s work traces the history of how big money buys politics in America. He recently sat down with Jacobin to talk about Bernie Sanders, the superrich, and how the flood of corporate cash is shaping the Democratic primary.
You only need to look at one graph to understand what happened in New Hampshire: the poorer the town, the better Bernie Sanders performed.
Whether it’s Donald Trump, the Democratic Party, or today’s midterms, the best way to understand US politics is to follow the money.
Thomas Ferguson on how voter alienation from corporate candidates produced this year’s dizzying election results.