Financial History Issue 121 (Spring 2017) | Page 34

POLITICS AND INVESTING Certificate for stock in The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, signed by Samuel Bush, great-grandfather of George W. Bush, 1921. By Kenneth Winans Since the beginning of our nation’s his- tory, many politicians from nearly every political party have been wealthy, success- ful investors. In fact, many congressional, senatorial and presidential campaigns have been financed by the fruits of the candi- dates’ (or their families’) investment suc- cesses. Do winds of political change really have an effect on investing in America? Ultimately, investors — regardless of their political views— want to see their stocks and real estate holdings appreciate in value within