MapLight Interview

In the USA, a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals believe that money – not people –  should control the government. Their unchecked political influence threatens the democratic principles on which the country was founded.

MapLight researches and exposes the dangerous influence of corporate money on US politics. 

Find out about the solutions that can make democracy work for everyone, not just the super rich.

Listen here or find us on your favorite podcast app.

February 14, 2021

True Democracy Serves Its People, Not Its Corporations

#123 Great.com Talks With… MapLight

In a well-established democracy, we often take our right to vote for granted. But what happens when powerful lobbyists and special interest groups try to subvert the democratic processes we rely on? In this episode we talked with Daniel G. Newman from MapLight about the importance of transparency and accountability in the US political system.

Puppet Masters that Shape Our Candidates

Running for office in the United States is an expensive business. Without huge personal wealth, candidates rely heavily on donations from large corporations in exchange for a say in policy decisions. The downside to this is obvious - the interests of the rich and powerful don’t always overlap with those of ordinary US citizens. 

Daniel recently published Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy, illustrated by cartoonist George O’Connor, which lays bare the worst lobbying and corporate manipulation while offering powerful solutions. He explains that we need laws increasing the transparency of political spending; politics is full of ‘dark money’ - funds that secretly influence decisions affecting real people. Public election funding is another solution; candidates should not be held to ransom by corporations during their tenure. 

On the subject of social media, Daniel believes that Big Tech must do more to tackle unregulated paid political activity. The issue isn’t so much what is or isn’t a lie; it’s more about empowering voters to make informed decisions by revealing who is really speaking to them.


Listen to the whole interview to find out how voter suppression and gerrymandering are damaging the reputation of the US democratic system. You can also read about MapLight’s latest projects and donate to support a fairer voting system.

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