ABSTRACT
Having reviewed the context of the 2006 midterm elections, we now turn to the role of money in this dynamic environment. Because elections are so central to the functioning of a democracy there has long been a concern about moneyed interests dominating the process. Over time legislation has been passed and upheld by the courts that limits the ability of corporations or labor unions to spend money from their general funds to influence election outcomes. Corporations and unions can form political action committees where employees, managers, or union members may contribute money to be spent on campaigns, but the ability of a large corporation like Microsoft to spend unlimited amounts of its profits on elections has not been legal.
