The Influence of Money in Politics (original) (raw)

Campaign Finance Reform: Restoring Trust in American Democracy

George Washington Institute , 2024

Campaign finance reform is a critical issue for the health of American democracy. Rising campaign costs have led to increased influence of wealthy individuals and corporations, eroding public trust in government. This research examines the current state of campaign finance laws, their effectiveness in limiting the influence of money in politics, and potential reforms to strengthen democratic accountability. By analyzing recent court cases, campaign finance data, and public opinion surveys, the study offers recommendations to restore public confidence in the electoral process!

Whose Voice, Whose Choice? The Distorting Influence of the Political Donor Class In Our Big-money Elections

2016

Over the last three decades, the Supreme Court has curtailed meaningful limits on political campaign spending and contributions. Te alarming, but predictable, result is the rise of a small group of wealthy elites who make large political contributions with the goal of infuencing election outcomes and policymaking. We are lef with a government that is less responsive to the needs and concerns of ordinary Americans, and more responsive to the needs and concerns of economic elites. To understand what big money in politics means, it is important to understand the "who" and the "what" of political donations: who is spending big money on elections, and what do they want? In the following analysis, we uncover the demographics (the "who") and policy preferences (the "what") of the donor class that dominates U.S. campaign funding, in order to shed light on why money in politics is distorting our democracy in favor of economic elites, and particularly w...

Money that Matters: The Role of Money in Campaigns and Elections

Using the results from a unique experiment imbedded in a national survey on attitudes towards money and politics, this paper tests voters’ reaction to the disclosure of campaign contribution information. In particular, we explore reactions to differences in the source and amount of campaign contributions. In general, we find that voters react far more to the source than to the amount of campaign contributions.

Campaign Money, Congress, and Perceptions of Corruption

Many Americans think campaign money has a corrupting influence on Congress. Yet how they think about money in politics is a relatively unexplored topic. This article investigates how the public reasons about campaign money and corruption. Our survey experiments demonstrate that attitudes about campaign money are structured by partisan interest and are also driven by information about sources of campaign money and the amount spent (particularly for large independent expenditures made possible by Citizens United), the method of delivery, and about what the money is spent on. Mass perceptions about corruption of Congress, furthermore, may reflect aversion to negative campaigns as well as attitudes about campaign financiers having undue influence over representatives. These findings not only provide a more nuanced picture of attitudes about campaign money but also have consequences for how we assess reform proposals relating to money and politics.