Government corruption has emerged as a top issue in the upcoming US midterm elections, with an overwhelming majority of Americans saying US government officials use their public office for personal financial gain, according to an exclusive Harris poll for the Guardian.
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officials → emerge → Guardian
Nearly nine out of 10 Americans said that government corruption, as defined as elected officials putting their own or their donors’ financial interests ahead of the public’s, is a problem, according to the survey.
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officials → say → survey
Three-quarters (76%) of voters said that elected officials care more about enriching themselves than improving the economy for ordinary people.
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officials → say → people
Voters were more likely to say that government corruption (65%) is more concerning than corporate power (29%).
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corruption → say → power
Just under 10% said that neither concerns them.
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neither → say → them
The rising cost of living is still expected to drive the election, with 36% of voters saying it is the single most important issue to how they plan to vote in the midterms.
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they → rise → midterms
But in a slate of other issues including immigration, housing costs, abortion, crime and safety and AI, corruption was the next top issue.
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corruption → include → immigration
The results come after nearly two years of Donald Trump’s second term, where the president has both figuratively and literally reshaped Washington.
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president → come → Washington
The president demolished the historic East Wing of the White House to make way for a $400m ballroom – $335m of which he said is coming from private donors, including companies such as Apple and Nvidia.
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he → demolish → Apple
The federal government is down more than 420,000 workers after Elon Musk was given the power to introduce massive jobs cuts after donating nearly $300m to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
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Musk → give → campaign
Meanwhile, Trump’s sons are running the family’s lucrative cryptocurrency business that has made Trump $1bn since returning to the White House.
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that → run → House
And Trump himself accepted a $400m private jet as a gift from the Qatari royal family.
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Trump → accept → family
These actions have not gone unnoticed.
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actions → go → ?
Voters in the Harris poll were twice as likely to say that Republicans have a bigger corruption problem than Democrats.
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Republicans → say → Democrats
Forty percent of voters, including 29% of Republicans, said the GOP has a bigger corruption problem.
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GOP → include → problem
A third (32%) of voters said that both parties have the problem equally, while 21% said that Democrats have the bigger problem.
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Democrats → say → problem
Independents, whose votes will be key in swing races across the country, were much more likely to say that Republicans have more of a corruption problem, with 34% saying that Republicans have the bigger issue and 13% pointing to Democrats.
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% → say → Democrats
Most Independents (42%) said that both parties share the problem equally.
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parties → say → problem
The economy as experienced by everyday Americans has been vastly different from the portrait painted by Wall Street.
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economy → experience → Street
The stock market has been soaring on the back of never-ending AI spending.
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market → soar → spending
In early October, both the S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq stock indices hit record highs.
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S&P → hit → highs
Americans in the top 1% of wealth own half of the stock market while the bottom 50% own just over 1% of the market.
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% → own → market
Armed with more funds than ever, America’s wealthiest people have been driving even more donations into elections.
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people → arm → elections
After the supreme court’s 2010 Citizens United case removed limits on campaign contributions, each election year has brought in new records of cash.
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year → remove → cash
The midterms have already cost $11.2bn in ads, according to NBC News, the most ever for a midterm cycle.
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midterms → cost → cycle
A chunk of these donations are coming from the ultra-rich.
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chunk → come → rich
Just 40 donors have already contributed $2.5bn to races this year, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
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donors → contribute → Justice
Last week, billionaire Michael Bloomberg announced he was contributing $80m in last-minute funding for Democratic candidates, while Donald Trump said he is personally contributing a total of $400m to Republicans.
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he → announce → Republicans
For everyday Americans, this flood of cash has changed the motivations of elected officials, who many believe will ultimately prioritize themselves and their donors over their constituents.
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many → change → constituents
A majority of voters (78%) in the Harris Poll agreed that “elected officials care more about enriching themselves than helping people like me”.
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officials → agree → me
“Government corruption has shot up to become the second most important issue in the midterms after cost of living.
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corruption → shoot → living
Americans are triggered by leaders they now see as both responsible for and profiting off their growing economic hardship,” said John Gerzema, CEO of Harris Poll.
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Gerzema → trigger → Poll
Regardless of who ends up controlling Congress after the midterms, voters across the political spectrum are expecting solutions to address the ongoing affordability crisis that is impacting their lives.
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that → end → lives
Out of a slate of policies to address the cost of living, a third (32%) of voters said that there should be limits on the influence of companies and lobbyists on government decisions.
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third → address → decisions
The second most popular policy was removing tariffs (29%), followed by limiting how much companies raise prices on goods (24%).
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companies → remove → %
On Tuesday, voters in California will decide on a ballot measure that could place a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires in the state.
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that → decide → state
Tech billionaires have been spending an estimated $1m a day, altogether more than $340m, to fight the measure.
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billionaires → spend → measure
Half (50%) of voters in the new poll, including 56% of Independents, said that billionaires do not pay their fair share of taxes.
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billionaires → include → taxes
Just 28% of Republicans said the same.
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% → say → same
Some in corporate America are catching onto the discontent.
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Some → catch → discontent
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
