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It's an excellent time with all of the television ads for the Iowa Caucuses going on to talk about campaign financing in presidential elections. One candidate has made it a major theme for his campaign, and students (especially those who will be 18 by election day in November and can vote) should be able to understand the connection between elections and money. Now this is financial literacy on a large scale and connected to extremely political ideas and people, yet the relationship between government, representation, democracy, and money is becoming a central issue to the leadership and citizens of the U.S. Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, a campaign finance package, “Defending Democracy”, with several bills included, has been introduced into the legislature. Bill Moyers has included this topic numerous times in his program and has some excellent speakers and resources on his website. One of the essential questions that can be posed in the classroom is, "How does money affect the legislative direction of this country?" Understanding how money is raised for campaigns, how lobbyists affect campaigns and legislation, and how corporations play a role in government is important for students today because the answers to these questions affect the laws that will govern their own personal ability to save and invest money for their financial security.
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