Capitol hill Quote by Jane Mayer
““the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, DeVos defended the unlimited contributions. “Soft money,” she wrote, was just “hard-earned American dollars that Big Brother has yet to find a way to control. That is all it is, nothing more.” She added, “I know a little something about soft money, as my family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican Party.” She said, “I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return. We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues. We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican Party to use the money to promote these policies, and yes, to win elections. People like us,” she concluded archly, “must surely be stopped.””
About This Quote
Source Article: “The Soft Money Debate,” The New Yorker, 2023
The quote reveals how political donors rationalize unlimited contributions as harmless, while acknowledging the expectation of influence and return on investment.
In simple terms: Donors justify soft money but expect political favors.
Question the true cost of political donations.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- election campaigns
- lobbying efforts
- political advocacy
- donor meetings
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards can reduce money’s influence?
- How does soft money affect public trust?
Soft money can erode democratic fairness despite donor rationalizations.