Continued As ordinary Americans struggle with rising living costs and economic insecurity, the nation's wealthiest individuals and institutions are investing hundreds of millions to influence who controls Washington — and much of the global economy. Both parties operate in a system where super PACs can receive unlimited donations, and politically active nonprofits can obscure the identity of their financial supporters. When billionaires can spend hundreds of millions in shaping elections, who actually has the power? The United States calls itself a democracy. But more and more critics see its political system as a competition between rival factions of the billionaire class.

Continued As ordinary Americans struggle with rising living costs and economic insecurity, the nation's wealthiest individuals and institutions are investing hundreds of millions to influence who controls Washington — and much of the global economy. Both parties operate in a system where super PACs can receive unlimited donations, and politically active nonprofits can obscure the identity of their financial supporters. When billionaires can spend hundreds of millions in shaping elections, who actually has the power? The United States calls itself a democracy. But more and more critics see its political system as a competition between rival factions of the billionaire class.