funding

Question 1

what is the cost of winning a seat in the senate

Answer 1

$10million

Question 2

what is the cost of winning a seat in the house

Answer 2

$1.5million

Question 3

what % of seats in the house and in senate were incumbents in 2022

Answer 3

100% of senate reelected
94.5% of house

Question 4

how much did the 2016 election cost

Answer 4

$6.5billion

Question 5

what is hard money

Answer 5

donations made directly to an electoral campaign
subject to strict limits

Question 6

what is soft money

Answer 6

money donated to a party rather than a candidate and used for “party building activities” rather than endorsement of a candidates directly
subject to a few limitations

Question 7

what is a PAC

Answer 7

political action committees
- exempt from tax
- can donate $5000 per campaign
- organised for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates

Question 8

Super-PAC’s

Answer 8

• can donate unlimited amounts
• can call for the election or defeat of a candidate but cannot coordinate with those campaigns
• born out of citizens united (2010)

Question 9

how much did future forward, a super-PAC, spend in 2024

Answer 9

• $500million on Harris directly and a further $163million in the 2024 election

Question 10

what are 527’s

Answer 10

a type of tax exempt organisation like advocacy groups
- non profit committee registered as charities who donate to campaigns

Question 11

explain citizens united vs FEC 2010

Answer 11

declared that donations and use of money count as few speech under the constitution so to limit campaign spending is unconstitutional
- led to Super-PACs

Question 12

give 5 reasons why it has been difficult to reform campaign finance

Answer 12

• those in power benefit from the current system so are reluctant to change it
• easy to work around legislation against campaign finance –> super PACs, 527s
• SC rulings make reforming finance difficult –> challenges 1st amendment right to free speech so difficult to change due to entrenchment
• like the EC, there is a lack of consensus on what a replacement would look like
• without bipartisan agreement, there is little chance of making effective legislation or a constitutional amendment

Question 13

what is dark money

Answer 13

spending meant to influence political outcomes where the source of the money is not disclosed