Watch Big Money Agenda: Democracy on the Brink

Big Money Agenda: Democracy on the Brink is a documentary film that exposes the influence of money in American politics. The movie features commentary from renowned figures such as Wendell Potter, a former health insurance executive turned whistleblower and advocate for healthcare reform, and Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard Law School professor and political activist.

The film begins by highlighting the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in the Citizens United case, which removed limits on corporate spending in political campaigns. From here, the narrative delves deep into the corrupting influence of big money in American politics, tracing the relationship between money and political power back to the post-World War II era.

Through interviews with journalists, politicians, and policy experts, the film reveals how corporations and wealthy individuals have leveraged their financial resources to sway elections and policy outcomes in their favor. It explores how dark money, super PACs, and other forms of cash infusion have been used to drown out the voices of the average American voter.

The film also highlights the ways in which this corrupting influence has produced disastrous policy outcomes, particularly in areas like healthcare and environmental regulation. It features interviews with people who have been harmed by policies that favor corporations over people, such as farmers whose crops have been destroyed by environmental toxins or patients who have been denied lifesaving medical treatments due to insurance industry greed.

Despite the harrowing picture it paints of American democracy under siege, Big Money Agenda also offers a message of hope. It profiles grassroots movements that are pushing back against the influence of big money in politics, from the Bernie Sanders campaign to the battle for net neutrality. The film argues that only by taking money out of politics can we begin to reclaim our democracy and ensure that our government represents the people rather than the interests of the few.

Overall, Big Money Agenda offers a searing indictment of the state of American democracy and a call to action for all those who care about preserving the integrity of our political system. Although it doesn't offer easy solutions to the problems it identifies, the film is a powerful reminder that only by understanding the scope and scale of the problem can we begin to address it.

Big Money Agenda: Democracy on the Brink is a 2018 documentary with a runtime of 45 minutes.