Final answer:
Lawrence Lessig argues that money's influence in politics threatens American democracy due to the concentration of wealth, weakened campaign finance reform, and unbalanced political arena.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lawrence Lessig argues that money's influence in politics threatens American democracy because the concentration of wealth and income in the hands of a few people allows them to use their economic power to elect their preferred candidates and shape policy decisions.
Lessig points out that campaign finance reform legislation has been weakened, particularly by the 2012 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, which allowed unlimited corporate and union contributions to political action committees (PACs). This decision, coupled with the ability of wealthy individuals and corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political ads, has created an unbalanced political arena where the richest groups have the most influence.