ABSTRACT
Election campaigns in the United States are expensive. The figures, as they say, speak for themselves. During the 2008 presidential election campaign, candidates raised almost $1.7 billion.1 In all, in 2008, candidates, political parties, and interest groups spent approximately $5.3 billion attempting to affect the outcome of federal elections.2 In the 2010 House races, candidates spent $1.08 billion, while Senate candidates spent $745 million.3 The average winner of a House election spent $1.439 million, while the average Senate winner spent $9.78 million.4 To put these numbers in perspective, consider that a House member serves a two-year term, and a Senator serves a six-year term. If a House member wanted to raise $1.439 million to assure him/herself a good chance of winning, he/she would have to raise approximately $1,971 per day, every day (including holidays and weekends) for the entire two-year period. A senator would have to raise approximately $4,465 per day, every day for six years to reach the average winning figure of $9.78 million.
