Elections are expensive. Since the 2010 Citizens United case, the amount of money funneled into elections has grown drastically. In this episode I talk about PACs/SuperPACs, the Citizens United case and some solutins to the campaign finance issue.

To look at campaign contribution information click the links below:

• Federal Election Commission Campaign finaance data
• OpenSecrets.org

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Sources:

• Academic research: Campaign finance. (n.d.) OpenSecrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/academic/campaign-finance
• Panagopoulos, C., Green, D., Moniz, P. (2025). Revisiting name recognition and candidate support: Experimental tests of the mere exposure hypothesis. https://doi.org/10.1177/20531680251397568.
• Public Campaign Fiancing. (n.d.) The Brennan Center. https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics/public-campaign-financing.
• Cost of Election. (2024). OpenSecrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/cost-of-election?cycle=2020&display=T&infl=Y.
• Girardin, M. (2026). How much does it cost to run for office in 2026? Good Party. https://goodparty.org/blog/article/how-much-cost-run-for-office.
• Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310 (2010). Justia. https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/558/310/.
• Cases – Campaign spending. (n.d.) Oyez. https://www.oyez.org/issues/335.
• Weiner, D. (2025). Citizens United, explained. The Brennan Center. Vhttps://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/citizens-united-explained.
• Vandewalker, I., Paez, M. (2022). 4 takeaways about money in the midterms. The Brennan Center. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/4-takeaways-about-money-midterms.
• Large versus small individual donations. (n.d.) Open Secrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/large-vs-small-donations?cycle=2010&type=A.
• H.R.2356 – Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. (2002). Congress. https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/2356.
• Fredrickson, C., Wurman, I. (n.d.) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). National Constituion Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/supreme-court-case-library/citizens-united-v-fec.
• McConnell v. Federal Election Commission. (2003). Oyez. https://www.oyez.org/cases/2003/02-1674.
• Political Action Committees (PACs). (n.d.). Open Secrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/2024.
• SuperPACs. (n.d.). Open Secrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/super-pacs/2022.
• Campaign Finance Reform. (n.d.). ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech/campaign-finance-reform.
• The case for small donor public financing in New York. (2019). The Brennan Center. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/case-small-donor-public-financing-new-york.