The impact of money on politics has become increasingly pronounced as a 2012 chart by Mother Jones makes clear
States, cities and the federal government have tried in various ways to curb the corrupting influence of money on political elections and political decision making. But these laws have almost always been overturned by the US Supreme Court, beginning with its famous 1976 decision in Buckley v. Valleo that money is speech and therefore curbs on campaign spending violate the First Amendment.
Nevertheless, states and some cities continue to try to defend the foundation of democracy—one person, one vote–by curbing the power of money on elections.