Money in Politics

Money can have a negative influence on politics and present a challenge to foreign aid. Find out how to reduce political funding’s adverse impact on developing countries.

Money is vital for modern democracies. Without it, citizens would not have the means to convey ideas nor compete for political power through electoral processes. However, money can distort the democratic ideals of fair competition through unbalanced access to resources to some individuals or political groups, upsetting one of the cornerstones of democracy – the concept of ‘one person one vote’.  

Explore this Theme Page to, among other things:

• Understand how incumbent governments may abuse state resources to remain in power
• Watch a video explaining the basics of money negative influence on politics (in Spanish) - see below
• Learn about Zambia’s experience trying to deal with grand corruption