Welcome to The Price of Power
“Money always wins.”
“Politicians are bought and sold.”
“Lobbying runs Washington.”
We’ve all heard these phrases. We absorb them as truths. But more often, they reflect a kind of quiet resignation—a story we tell ourselves about why democracy disappoints.
They breed cynicism. They breed fatalism.
But here’s the thing: lobbying often fails. Markets fear unpredictable politicians. And democracies, at their best, are designed to check power—not just redistribute it.
What This Project Is
The Price of Power is a living literature review and companion to ongoing research.
It’s where the latest political economy studies meet the messiness of real-world politics.
We explore questions like:
- When does money actually shape political outcomes?
- Does it pay to be a politician?
- When do anti-corruption efforts succeed—or backfire?
- Is lobbying as powerful as we assume?
We examine how money and influence flow through systems—across democracies and autocracies, in peace and war, from oligarchs to civil society.
Why It Matters
If we want democratic institutions that actually work—not just look like they work—we need to understand the political economy behind them. That means studying money and power not as buzzwords, but as researchable, concrete forces that shape outcomes.
This project is supported by Open Philanthropy and updated regularly with new findings.
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