We Need More PACs to Fix Our Broken Electoral System
It’s not the money in politics that’s a problem. It’s the imbalance of power.
As the 2020 campaign season kicks into high gear, the chorus of voices decrying the influence of money in our electoral system is only expected to grow louder. According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of Americans think new limits should be placed on the amount of money groups and individuals can spend on campaigns. But in an era when more Americans are giving small donations to candidates, should we be worried about the expansion of money in politics?
It’s hard to say this early in the cycle whether 2020 will break previous campaign finance records. So far, federal candidates — that is, those running for the presidency and House and Senate seats — have already spent nearly $400 million. In the 2016 cycle, federal candidates spent a whopping $2.1 billion; in the 2018 midterms, they spent $1.8 billion. These are, of course, huge sums. But focusing on the totals belies the real problem with our political system: It’s not that there’s too much money. It’s that only a tiny fraction of Americans are able to supply the funding.
Of all the money donated to candidates, political action committees (PACs), and outside groups in a typical election cycle, about two-thirds are donations…
