Stop blaming the NRA for subverting democracy

Though gun control advocates treat NRA election donations as a textbook definition of political corruption, the answer is more routine: gun ownership is popular and a common American political position.

The NRA donation patterns don’t subvert American democracy — they reflect it.

Slate partnered with Open Secrets, a non-profit that tracks money in politics, to let readers find out whether the NRA has spent money “to influence your representatives.”

Political transparency is crucial to let voters know who funds their politicians. When voters know a politician’s friends, they make judgments on how trustworthy a politician would be in office. However, assuming that donors dictate a politician’s views and actions isn’t how the political system works in reality.

The reality isn’t that gun control laws haven’t been approved because the NRA uses its deep pockets to cajole politicians. Gun control laws haven’t been approved because, aside from some limited measures, protecting gun rights is favored by a large share of voting Americans.