Jonah Patel
The influence of money in politics is a pervasive and often unacknowledged participant in elections and public policy. To build transparency and trust, it is important to understand how it is spent and where it comes from. In the United States, there are several resources available to trace donations to politicians and political committees at the federal and state levels. These include OpenSecrets, which provides access to state and federal datasets on political contributions, expenditures, and lobbying activities. Another resource is the Federal Election Commission, which maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. Additionally, some states, such as California, offer tools like Power Search to search for contributions to candidates and ballot measures. These resources can help shed light on the financial aspects of political campaigns and the influence of money in politics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Website | OpenSecrets.org |
| Data | State and federal datasets on political contributions, expenditures, personal financial disclosures, candidate lists, and lobbying activities |
| Data sources | Grants from private foundations, contributions from individuals, revenue from research fees and data contracts |
| Data coverage | Federal Election Commission records of receipts from individuals contributing at least $200 |
| Search criteria | Individual contributor's name, employer, occupation, location, contribution date or amount, committee receiving contribution |
| Data visualization | Trending searches, newsletter |
| Donor Lookup | Search for a state or federal candidate to see the donors and industries that support them |
| Data on organizations | Industries and organizations supporting elected representatives in the House and Senate, connections between committee members and industries, data on appointees and administrators, officials' personal financial reports |
| Data on political action committees | Data on campaign contributions and lobbying activity from corporations, trade associations, labor unions, nonprofits, and advocacy groups |
| Data on outside influence | Outside influence of "dark money" groups, influence of industries and economic sectors, how national party committees raise and spend money, money flowing into state and federal elections from 527 political nonprofits |
| Data on independent expenditures | Power Search for California |
| Data on contribution limits | Federal Election Campaign Act |
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What You'll Learn
Search for donors in your state
Political donations are a matter of public record, and there are several ways to search for donors in your state. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals who have contributed to federally registered political committees. You can search this database by the donor's first and/or last name, employer, occupation, city, state, zip code, date of contribution, or amount contributed.
Additionally, websites like OpenSecrets (formerly the Center for Responsive Politics) track money in U.S. elections and provide detailed reports on spending by lobbyists, political action committees (PACs), interest groups, and other donors. OpenSecrets has a searchable database that allows you to see which campaigns or candidates a donor has contributed to, and you can sort by recipient or donor data like occupation, employer, or zip code. Their Get Local! tool lets you select a state and pull up reports by donor, candidate, metro area, and more.
FollowTheMoney.org is another resource for browsing and searching state campaign finance data. You can select a state from the map, narrow it down by office type, and even enter a name into the search bar to see an individual's contributions.
For state-level data, you can also check your state's campaign finance or election commission website. For example, California residents can use Power Search to look up contributions to candidates and ballot measures, as well as independent expenditures made to support or oppose them.
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Understand the influence of dark money groups
Dark money refers to funds from groups whose donors are not disclosed. Powerful groups have poured over $1 billion into federal elections since 2010, typically concentrating on the most competitive races. Dark money has also made its way into executive, legislative, and judicial elections, threatening the impartiality of state supreme courts. Dark money groups often operate as "attack dogs" during campaigns, criticizing candidates without revealing their identities.
The two most common sources of dark money in politics are politically active nonprofits and corporate entities such as limited liability companies. These groups take advantage of loopholes in campaign disclosure rules, such as those created by Citizens United, to spend money on political advertisements without disclosing their donors. For example, by registering as a "social welfare" nonprofit, dark money groups can avoid mandatory donor disclosure rules. The 45Committee, founded in 2015, is one such group that has raised millions of dollars without publicly disclosing its donors. The group's spending went primarily towards "direct or indirect political campaign activities."
Another example is Patriot Majority USA, which acknowledged that it would spend money on influencing elections but stressed that it would not exceed 40% of its funds on such activities. According to its tax filings, however, the organization has typically spent between 30% and 40% of its funds on political campaign activities.
The lack of transparency around dark money makes it difficult for voters to make informed decisions. They may not know who is trying to influence them or if special interests are currying favor with politicians. This has led to concerns about the integrity of the democratic process and calls for reform to improve campaign spending transparency.
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Learn about contribution limits
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA), which limits the amount of money individuals and political organisations can give to a candidate running for federal office. The FEC maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally-registered political committees, which can be searched by name, employer, occupation, location, date, and contribution amount.
FECA requires candidates for president, Senate, and the House of Representatives to report the names of individuals and organisations contributing to their campaigns, along with the amounts. Candidates can spend unlimited personal funds on their campaigns but must disclose the amount spent to the FEC. Contributions to publicly funded presidential nominees' "General Election Legal and Compliance Fund (GELAC fund)"" are subject to per-candidate, per-election limits. GELAC funds are used solely for legal and accounting expenses incurred in complying with federal law.
State committees, including political parties and PACs, may receive contributions exceeding the limits as long as they are not used for state candidate contributions. A state candidate or state officeholder may not contribute more than $5,900 to another state candidate or state officeholder's committee, including personal funds and campaign funds. This limit is per election.
Independent-expenditure-only political committees, often called "Super PACs", can accept unlimited contributions, including from corporations and labour organisations.
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Discover which industries support state leaders
To discover which industries support state leaders, you can examine campaign finance data, which discloses contributions made by individuals and organizations to political campaigns. This information can provide insights into the industries that financially support specific candidates or parties. Here is a guide to help you find this information:
Understanding Campaign Finance Data
Campaign finance data is information about the money raised and spent by political candidates, parties, and committees during an election campaign. This data includes contributions from individuals, businesses, and other organizations, as well as expenditures on advertising, staff salaries, and other campaign-related costs.
Sources of Campaign Finance Data
There are several sources you can use to access campaign finance data:
- Federal Election Commission (FEC): The FEC is a government agency that regulates and discloses campaign finance information for federal elections. The FEC website provides a database where you can search for individual contributions to federally registered political committees. You can search by the contributor's name, employer, occupation, location, contribution amount, and date.
- State Election Authorities: Each state has its own election authority that oversees and discloses campaign finance information for state-level elections. These authorities may provide online databases or portals where you can search for contributions to state candidates and ballot measures.
- Non-profit Organizations: Non-profit organizations, such as OpenSecrets, operated by the National Institute on Money in Politics and the Center for Responsive Politics, aggregate and analyze campaign finance data. These organizations provide user-friendly tools to search and visualize contribution data, making it easier to identify patterns and connections.
Analyzing the Data
When analyzing campaign finance data, you can identify which industries support state leaders by looking for patterns in the contributor's occupation or employer. For example, you might find that a significant number of contributions come from individuals working in industries such as finance, real estate, healthcare, or manufacturing. Additionally, you can examine the recipients of these contributions to understand which state leaders are receiving support from specific industries.
Case Studies
To further illustrate the connection between industries and state leaders, you can explore case studies where industries have directly influenced state policies or initiatives. For example, in South Carolina, the state government offered incentives to BMW, including an incentive package worth $100 million, to establish an automotive-manufacturing cluster, which deepened the state's automotive supply chain. Similarly, Georgia attracted Kia Motors by combining tax credits with access to workforce-training programs and infrastructure investments. These examples demonstrate how industries collaborate with state leaders to promote economic growth and development.
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Find out how candidates spend donor money
To find out how candidates spend donor money, you can use online tools and databases that provide information on campaign finance and expenditures. Here are some steps you can take:
- Visit Websites Dedicated to Campaign Finance Transparency: Websites like OpenSecrets (www.opensecrets.org) and FollowTheMoney (www.followthemoney.org) are great resources. OpenSecrets, a product of the collaboration between the National Institute on Money in Politics and the Center for Responsive Politics, offers a donor lookup tool that allows you to search for state or federal candidates and view their donors and supporting industries. You can also trace donations to politicians and committees at federal and state levels, and explore lobbying activities by organizations.
- Utilize State-Specific Tools: Some states have their own tools for searching campaign contributions and expenditures. For example, California's Power Search allows you to quickly search for contributions to candidates, ballot measures, and expenditures. Check if your state offers similar tools or databases.
- Refer to the Federal Election Commission (FEC): The FEC maintains a database of individuals who have contributed to federally registered political committees. You can search by contributor name, employer, location, date, contribution amount, or the committee receiving the contribution. This can help you identify who is funding specific candidates and committees.
- Sign up for Newsletters and Updates: Websites like OpenSecrets offer newsletters and updates to help you stay informed about the latest developments in campaign finance. By signing up, you can receive regular insights into how donor money is being spent and the influence it has on elections and policy-making.
- Explore In-Depth Analyses: Many of these websites also provide in-depth analyses, workshops, and training on money-in-politics data. Take advantage of these resources to better understand the intricacies of campaign finance and how candidates allocate their donor funds.
Remember, these tools can provide valuable insights into how candidates spend donor money, but the data may not always be up-to-date or complete. Cross-referencing multiple sources and staying vigilant about the latest disclosures can help ensure you have the most accurate and comprehensive understanding.
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Frequently asked questions
You can use OpenSecrets.org to search for a state or federal candidate to see who donated to them.
OpenSecrets provides access to state and federal datasets on political contributions, expenditures, personal financial disclosures, candidate lists, and lobbying activities. You can find out who donated to a candidate, how much they donated, and what industry they work in.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals who have donated to federally registered political committees. You can search by the donor's name, employer, occupation, location, donation amount, and date. You can also use Power Search to find information about contributions to candidates in California.
Yes, under the Federal Election Campaign Act, contributions to political campaigns are subject to limits. These limits apply to all types of contributions except those made from a candidate's personal funds. Independent-expenditure-only political committees, also known as Super PACs, can accept unlimited contributions from corporations and labor organizations.
