The receipts
Follow the Money
This is not a conspiracy theory. It is a public record. Every dollar below is reported to the federal government. Every policy below is enacted law. The only thing missing is the outrage.
The big picture
$0
the average citizen spends on lobbying
Near-zero
impact of average voter preferences on policy outcomes
Gilens & Page, Princeton University (2014) The industries. The money. The laws they bought.
10 Case Studies
Each entry below shows the same thing: an industry spent millions lobbying Congress, got the policy it wanted, and the public paid the price — despite polling that showed Americans wanted the opposite outcome.
Pharmaceutical Industry
They got
Medicare was banned from negotiating drug prices from 2003–2022 (Medicare Modernization Act). Even after the Inflation Reduction Act, only 10 drugs per year are eligible for negotiation.
You paid
US drug prices are 2.78× the international average. Insulin costs $322/month vs. $3 to manufacture.
The public wanted
83% of Americans support Medicare drug negotiation (KFF, 2023).
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
CGP Issue: HealthcareRead our position
Oil & Gas Industry
They got
$20B+/year in federal subsidies (IMF). Blocked carbon pricing legislation repeatedly across multiple congressional sessions.
You paid
Climate disasters cost $92.9B in 2023 alone (NOAA). Health costs from fossil fuel pollution: $820B/year (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health).
The public wanted
69% of Americans support stricter emission limits on power plants (Pew Research, 2023).
Source: Pew Research Center
CGP Issue: Climate & EnergyRead our position
Health Insurance Industry
They got
Killed the public option during ACA negotiations (2009). Preserved the multi-payer system. Prior authorization remains largely unregulated at the federal level.
You paid
Average family premium: $25,572/year (KFF, 2024). Administrative overhead: 12% (vs. 1% in Taiwan's single-payer system). 100 million Americans carry medical debt.
The public wanted
63% of Americans support a single-payer system or public option (KFF, 2023).
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
CGP Issue: HealthcareRead our position
Financial Services / Wall Street
They got
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999) repealed Glass-Steagall. Dodd-Frank weakened through subsequent lobbying. Carried interest loophole preserved for decades despite bipartisan pledges to close it.
You paid
2008 crash destroyed $12.8 trillion in household wealth. Bailouts: $700B TARP. The carried interest loophole costs taxpayers $14B/year (CBO).
The public wanted
66% say Wall Street does more harm than good for the economy (Gallup, 2023).
Source: Gallup
CGP Issue: Taxation / Corporate PowerRead our position
Gun Lobby (NRA + Manufacturers)
They got
No universal background check law despite 30+ years of public support. Blocked assault weapons ban renewal (expired 2004). Blocked federal red flag law mandate. PLCAA (2005) granted manufacturers near-total legal immunity.
You paid
Gun violence costs $280B/year (Everytown for Gun Safety). 48,204 gun deaths in 2022 (CDC).
The public wanted
87% of Americans support universal background checks (Quinnipiac, 2023).
Source: Quinnipiac University Poll
CGP Issue: Gun PolicyRead our position
Real Estate / Housing Industry
They got
Blocked federal renter protections. Preserved Section 1031 exchange for unlimited tax-deferred property swaps. RealPage algorithmic rent-fixing operated for years before DOJ action.
You paid
49% of renters are cost-burdened (Census Bureau). Median first-time homebuyer age hit 40. Homelessness hit a record 653,104 (HUD, 2023).
The public wanted
74% say housing affordability is a major problem in the U.S. (Pew Research, 2024).
Source: Pew Research Center
CGP Issue: HousingRead our position
Defense Contractors
They got
$886B defense budget (FY2024). Pentagon has failed 7 consecutive audits. F-35 program: $2.1 trillion lifetime cost. 54% of the discretionary budget goes to contractors.
You paid
$886B/year — more than the next 9 countries combined. The Pentagon cannot account for $4.65 trillion in assets (GAO).
The public wanted
44% say the U.S. spends too much on the military; only 18% say too little (Gallup, 2024).
Source: Gallup
CGP Issue: Military & DefenseRead our position
Tech / Big Tech
They got
No federal privacy law. No comprehensive AI regulation. Section 230 preserved without reform. No major antitrust breakup completed.
You paid
The $323B data broker industry profits from personal data harvested without meaningful consent (IBISWorld). No federal opt-out exists.
The public wanted
72% want more government regulation of tech companies (Pew Research, 2023).
Source: Pew Research Center
CGP Issue: Internet & Privacy / AI & TechnologyRead our position
Private Prison Industry
They got
Lobbied to preserve mandatory minimum sentencing. Secured billions in immigration detention contracts. Blocked sentencing reform legislation.
You paid
$182B/year spent on mass incarceration (Prison Policy Initiative). The U.S. incarcerates more people per capita than any nation on Earth — 1.9 million people.
The public wanted
65% of Americans favor reducing mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders (Pew Research, 2021).
Source: Pew Research Center
CGP Issue: Criminal JusticeRead our position
Telecom Industry
They got
Blocked municipal broadband in 16 states through state preemption laws. Killed net neutrality protections (2017). Digital redlining persists in rural and low-income areas.
You paid
Average U.S. broadband: $75/month. Average in France: $31/month. 42 million Americans still lack broadband access (FCC).
The public wanted
72% support the option of municipal broadband (Consumer Reports, 2022).
Source: Consumer Reports
CGP Issue: Infrastructure / Internet PrivacyRead our position
The pattern
Every industry above followed the same playbook: spend millions lobbying. Block the policy the public actually wants. Extract billions from the citizens the government is supposed to protect.
This is not broken government. This is government working exactly as designed — for the people who pay for it.
The data is not hidden. It is filed with the federal government every quarter. The polling is not ambiguous. Supermajorities of Americans support the policies that lobbying blocks. The only thing preventing change is the money standing between public will and public law.
That is the system. Now read how they built it — and what we intend to do about it.
The Common Good Party exists to break this cycle.
Read the platform. Then join us. No corporate PACs. No lobbyist money. No billionaire owners. Every position is public. Every dollar is accounted for.