Campaign finance basics
Money and politics have been inseparable since the first republic. Understanding how campaigns are funded — who can give what, in what amounts, to whom, and with what disclosed — is essential to understanding who has influence over your elected officials.
The Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent agency that enforces federal campaign finance law. It requires candidates, parties, and political committees to report their fundraising and spending, and it publishes that information. Every dollar raised and spent by a federal campaign is, in theory, a matter of public record. In practice, the disclosure requirements have significant gaps that donors and campaigns have learned to navigate.
Direct contributions
Individuals may contribute up to $3,300 per candidate per election (as of 2024, adjusted for inflation). Political action committees (PACs) — organizations formed by corporations, unions, trade associations, and ideological groups — may contribute up to $5,000 per candidate per election. These limits apply to "hard money" contributions made directly to campaigns and reported fully.
Super PACs and outside spending
The 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC held that the First Amendment prohibits Congress from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations, associations, and unions. This opened the door to "super PACs" — organizations that can raise and spend unlimited money on elections so long as they do not coordinate directly with campaigns. Super PACs must disclose their donors. "Dark money" nonprofits organized under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code are not required to disclose donors and may spend on elections within limits. The practical result is that large sums of money flow through American elections with incomplete attribution.
What it means for citizens
Campaign finance shapes who runs for office, what issues get amplified, and which candidates have the resources to compete. Following the money — using public databases like OpenSecrets, which aggregates FEC data — is one of the most direct ways to understand whose interests a candidate is responsive to. This is not cynicism. It is the practical application of a very old observation: money does not guarantee outcomes, but it is worth knowing who is paying attention.