|
|  | The Problem with Money
"Location, location, location" is the real estate mantra; in politics the mantra is "Money, money, money!" In 2005 candidates raised approximately $470 million for the 2006 congressional elections, $80 million more than in 2003 (1). During the 2003/2004 election cycle, congressional candidates raised $985 million and spent $911 million (2). In both instances, individual contributions accounted for just a little over 60 percent of all contributions; however, these millions of dollars in individual contributions came from less than 5 percent of the population, and less than 1 percent contributed more than $200 per candidate or political organization (3).
Money provides the means to put the candidate's name in the voters' minds -- preferably in a positive manner -- when they choose for whom to pull the lever, punch the button, or darken the circle in the voting booth. However, contributions are sometimes seen as causing undue influence on the potential winner and, consequently, leading to favorable votes, contracts, and outright corruption.
Attempts to Reform the System
Campaign finance laws attempt to address the above concerns. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) lists four reasons for placing limits on campaign contributions:
- limit the influence of the affluent and special interests
- limit funding sources
- put controls on spending, and
- require transparency by publishing the contribution sources, while limiting overall amounts(4).
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), passed in 1971, was the successor to a long trail of laws governing campaign contributions. A fundamental flaw to all these laws was an insufficient mechanism for effective enforcement. Nixon's Watergate scandal and 1972 presidential campaign led Congress to amend FECA to provide better enforcement. Key to the 1974 amendment was the creation of the Federal Election Commission to administer the law. The most recent change in campaign finance law, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA), put caps on campaign contributions but freed the monetary caps to rise with the cost-of-living index. The FEC Web site specifies the exact limits for the 2005/2006 election cycle.
We can view issues of campaign finance in three contexts: representation, freedom of speech, and people who can run for political office. In presenting the issue to your class, ask: Do the current laws impact representation positively or negatively? Do limits on financial contributions needlessly inhibit free speech? Do campaign laws limit or expand the number and types of possible candidates?
Class Exercise on Campaign Finance
Here is a suggestion for a class exercise. Each student selects a House race from 2004 (this way they have complete information), preferably a district that they have some familiarity with, and looks for information to answer the following questions:
- How much money did each candidate raise?
- What proportion of funds came from individual contributions?
- What were the occupations of individual contributors?
- What proportion of the district's population contributed to candidates in the House race?
- In what part of the district did most individual contributors live?
- What sorts of organizations provided funding? Were they related to the district?
- If there was an incumbent, how did the level and sources of contributions for challengers compare with the incumbent's resources?
- Did the candidate with the most money win?
Based on the information collected, students should discuss the following questions:
- If money is important to representation, then who is more likely to be represented in the district? Is it possible to represent noncontributors?
- Contributing to campaigns is a form of free speech. Do you think contributors in your district are speaking with a "louder" voice? Why or why not?
- How similar or different are the candidates' socioeconomic status levels to that of the district?
- Does the present campaign finance system ensure fair elections and a choice? If yes, explain the characteristics that promote fair elections and real choices. If no, describe an alternative campaign finance system that would accomplish these goals.
Here are four Web sites that students can use to answer the questions.
Federal Election Commission
The federal government's official site contains a description of present campaign finance laws. Students can search information on campaign contributions in several ways. For example, they can search a particular candidate's campaign contribution receipts and sources, access a list of individual contributors and amounts to any campaign by zip code, and find campaign receipts by various campaign committees. The site also posts the latest rulings on campaign finance violations. Individuals can subscribe to podcasts of FEC meetings.
 Federal Election Commission
Opensecrets.org
The site provides good graphical representation of campaign finance sources by type -- individuals, interest groups, and in-state and out-of-state contributions.
opensecrets.org
Fund Race 2004
This is limited to information on the 2004 presidential race. What makes the site interesting is the ability to see who in your neighborhood contributed to the 2004 presidential campaigns. The site presents a national map of contributions based on county, three-digit zip codes, and state.
Fund Race 2004
Campaign Finance Information Center
The site has links to state government organizations responsible for reporting campaign contributions in state elections. The quality of the information and ease of access varies by state.
Campaign Finance Organization Center
Endnotes
1. Federal Election Commission press release, February 28, 2006.
2. Federal Election Commission press release, January 3, 2005.
3. Opensecrets.org
opensecrets.org
4. See Appendix Four: The Federal Election Campaign Laws: A Short History.
Appendix 4: The Federal Election Campaign Laws: A Short History
Sam Fisher has taught at the University of South Alabama since 1987 and has been an Exam Reader for AP U.S. Government and Politics for several years. His current research is on representational styles of U.S. House of Representatives members.
|
