Malcolm Rivera
Shadow campaigns refer to outside groups that are purportedly independent of a political campaign but have ties to a candidate. These groups are often set up to benefit specific candidates and can raise significantly more funds than the candidates themselves. Shadow campaigns run on dark money, or money that is spent by undisclosed donors to influence voting patterns. This money is often funnelled through super-PACs, which can spend unlimited amounts of money and are only required to disclose their donors. The rise of shadow campaigns can be attributed to the Citizens United ruling in 2010, which equated money spent in politics with free speech.
Characteristics of Shadow Campaigns in Politics
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Run by | Party leaders' trusted former aides or hand-picked operatives |
| Sources of funding | Dark money, super-PACs, non-profit organizations, individuals, corporations, unions, and outside groups |
| Spending | Unlimited amounts of money |
| Nature of coordination with candidates | No direct coordination with candidates, committees, or parties |
| Communication | All communications, monetary contributions, or payments must be made outside of the candidate, committees, or parties |
| Purpose | To influence a given constituency's voting patterns |
| Examples | Analyst Institute, Catalist, American Action Network, Congressional Leadership Fund |
| Impact | Increased influence of big money in elections, greater difficulty in tracing funding sources, and potential for manipulating the system |
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What You'll Learn
Super-PACs and dark money
Super-PACs, or super political action committees, are independent expenditure-only committees that are free to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. They are the dominant force in election spending in the United States. Super-PACs raise money from corporations, unions, and individuals, and are allowed to express advocacy as they choose. However, they are not permitted to donate to campaigns or coordinate with them in any way. This includes any communication, monetary contribution, or payment, which must be made outside of the candidate, committees, or parties.
Despite typically operating legally, Super-PACs can sometimes manipulate the system and act as a "dark money" organization. Dark money refers to funds spent by an undisclosed donor with the intention of influencing a constituency's voting patterns. Super-PACs must disclose their donors but can accept unlimited donations from non-profit organizations and "shell" corporations, which are not required to disclose their donors. This loophole facilitates the funneling of money from group to group, increasing the amount of dark money in shadow campaigns.
The rise of 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, which are a type of non-profit, has played a significant role in the evolution of Super-PACs and dark money. Initially, non-profits had limited ability to contribute to political activities. However, following the Supreme Court case FEC v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life (1986), the Court recognized that non-profits serve different functions and should be treated differently. The Court ruled that if social welfare groups have a predominantly political purpose and receive all their donations from citizens, then their revenue reflects public opinion, and restricting their political spending would violate the First Amendment.
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 attempted to restrict non-profit organizations from engaging in political activities by disallowing them from purchasing ads aimed at specific constituencies with persuasive intent. However, this was challenged in subsequent court cases, with the landmark Citizens United v. FEC (2010) ruling that limiting money spent by an interest group is equivalent to limiting the voice of an individual. As a result, organizations with a "primary purpose" unrelated to politics could endorse candidates, organize partisan activities, and purchase advertising using funds from their general treasury. This further contributed to the rise of dark money in politics, as these organizations are not required to disclose their donors.
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Outside groups and their influence
Shadow campaigns, or dark money groups, are a type of political campaign where the source of the funding is not disclosed publicly or is challenging to trace. This type of campaign spending aims to influence political outcomes without revealing the donors' identities. In the United States, these campaigns have become increasingly prevalent since the Citizens United v. FEC ruling in 2010. This ruling equated money spent in politics with free speech, allowing unlimited spending by outside groups as long as they were independent of candidates and parties.
These outside groups, often referred to as super PACs, can accept unlimited donations from non-profit organizations and corporations without disclosing their donors. This creates a system of loosely regulated shadow parties with close ties to congressional party leaders, giving them significant influence over political campaigns. The influence of these outside groups has been evident in both Republican and Democratic parties, with shadow party groups frequently outraising official party committees.
The rise of shadow campaigns and outside groups has led to an increase in the influence of big money in elections. Wealthy donors and corporations can now contribute unlimited amounts of money to these groups, often as dark money, without disclosing their identities. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for voters to know who is funding political campaigns and can obscure potential conflicts of interest for legislators and judges.
One notable example of the influence of outside groups is the 2020 election in the United States. A well-funded coalition of liberal strategists and operatives worked behind the scenes to influence perceptions and protect the integrity of the election. This group, which included the Analyst Institute and Catalist, a progressive data company, played a critical role in ensuring a fair election outcome.
While shadow campaigns and outside groups can have a significant impact on political outcomes, they also raise concerns about transparency and accountability in the political process. The increasing influence of big money and the lack of effective regulation of outside groups have led to calls for campaign finance reform to address these issues.
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The role of non-profit organizations
Non-profit organizations have played an increasingly prominent role in campaign fundraising and spending in American elections. Initially, these organizations had limited abilities to contribute to political activities in the United States. However, over time, they have gained prominence and now play a significant role in what is known as "shadow campaigns."
Shadow campaigns refer to the shift in presidential campaign funding to outside groups, which are purportedly independent of the campaign but often have ties to specific candidates. These outside groups, including non-profit organizations, have raised significant amounts of money, sometimes even outpacing the candidates' own campaign committees. In the 2016 presidential race, for example, outside groups with ties to specific candidates raised twice as much as the candidates themselves.
Non-profit organizations, such as 501(c) organizations, are able to contribute unlimited amounts of money to super-PACs, which then spend this money on political advocacy. Super-PACs are independent expenditure-only committees that are not allowed to donate to or coordinate with specific campaigns or candidates. However, they have free rein to express advocacy and spend money on political activities. This allows non-profit organizations to indirectly influence elections by funneling money through super-PACs, thereby expanding the amount of "dark money" in shadow campaigns.
The rise of 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, in particular, has forced courts to change how they view non-profit organizations. In FEC v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life (1986), the Supreme Court recognized that non-profits serve different functions and should be treated differently. The Court ruled that if social welfare groups have a predominantly political purpose and receive donations from citizens, the revenue generated reflects public opinion. As a result, preventing these groups from spending money for political purposes would be a violation of the First Amendment.
The Citizens United v. FEC (2010) ruling further impacted the role of non-profit organizations in shadow campaigns. The Supreme Court equated money spent by interest groups with speech, allowing organizations with a ""primary purpose" unrelated to politics to endorse candidates, organize partisan activities, and purchase advertising with funds from their general treasury. This ruling made it easier for non-profit organizations to influence elections and contribute to the rise of shadow campaigns.
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Shadow parties and their ties to leaders
Shadow parties are groups that operate as arms of political parties, raising and spending money on campaigns. They are purportedly independent of the campaigns they support, but in reality, most of them have close ties to the candidates. These groups are called "shadow campaigns" because they raise and spend money outside of the traditional campaign committees.
Shadow parties are run by former top aides to the party leader or chosen by the party leader to run the group. They are not truly independent entities. They are operated by party leaders' trusted former aides or hand-picked operatives. Party leaders typically help them fundraise, and they can share consultants or other strategic vendors with the official party. Shadow parties use super PACs to raise unlimited contributions, and their revenue comes overwhelmingly from massive contributions larger than the median American household income.
In the United States, the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC ruling in 2010 ushered in a new era of big money in politics. The ruling held that limiting the money spent by interest groups was equivalent to limiting the voice of an individual. This decision dramatically shifted congressional party finances, with parties now relying more on loosely regulated shadow parties with close ties to congressional party leaders and less on official party committees.
The rise of shadow parties has important implications for the transparency of political campaigns. Because shadow parties can raise unlimited and often secret money, it becomes difficult for the public to know who is funding political campaigns. This dynamic further increases the influence of big money in elections.
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Data and digital influence
One of the key strategies employed by shadow campaigns is the use of targeted messages through data-driven technologies. By collecting and analyzing data on individuals, campaigns can segment voters into small groups and target them with specific content designed to influence their beliefs, behaviors, and ultimately, their votes. This practice, known as "micro-targeting," allows campaigns to create personalized messages that resonate with specific groups of people, making the advertisements feel as if they are speaking directly to the individual. This can be done through various platforms, including social media, messaging apps, and search engines.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is another tactic used by shadow campaigns to influence organic search results. By utilizing SEO techniques, campaigns can increase the visibility of their websites and content by tailoring them to the algorithms of search engines. While organic results cannot be purchased, SEO can effectively influence the ranking of websites, pushing certain content to the top of search results. This can be a powerful tool for campaigns looking to spread their message and influence public opinion.
Additionally, shadow campaigns can utilize paid search results, such as Google Ads, to target individuals based on their search history, locations, and online activities. By placing bids on specific keywords, campaigns can ensure that their advertisements are displayed to the right audience at the right time. This allows them to influence individuals' knowledge and beliefs, potentially swaying their voting decisions.
The impact of data and digital influence in politics is complex and has been debated extensively. While some argue that it has made people more informed about current events and facilitated greater participation in the political process, others believe that it has made individuals more susceptible to manipulation by politicians and special interest groups. In the 2017 Kenyan presidential election, for example, targeted ads on Google's search page cast the opposition candidate in a negative light, potentially influencing voters' decisions.
Overall, data and digital influence have had a significant impact on shadow campaigns and politics in general. The ability to target individuals with tailored content and advertisements has changed the landscape of political campaigning, allowing groups with undisclosed donors to shape public opinion and influence voting patterns in subtle yet powerful ways.
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Frequently asked questions
Shadow campaigns are outside groups that are set up to benefit specific candidates. They are purportedly independent of the campaign but have ties to the candidate. They are run by party leaders' trusted former aides or hand-picked operatives and rely on loosely regulated super PACs to raise unlimited and often secret money, or "dark money", from corporations, unions, and individuals.
Shadow campaigns raise money through super PACs, which are independent expenditure-only committees. Super PACs are allowed to spend unlimited amounts with expressed advocacy to a campaign, as long as expenditures are independent of any campaign. They must disclose their donors but can accept unlimited donations from non-profit organizations and "shell" corporations, which do not have to disclose their donors.
Shadow campaigns can raise much more money than the candidates themselves. In the 2016 presidential race, outside groups with close ties to a candidate accounted for 96% of total outside fundraising. This connection to candidates is crucial to the fundraising success of shadow campaigns. They can also influence elections by changing voting systems and laws, helping to secure funding, fending off voter-suppression lawsuits, recruiting poll workers, and encouraging voting by mail.
