TRENDS IN FEDERAL CAMPAIGN SPENDING, 1990-2010*

Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board Briefing - February 17, 2003Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board Briefing - February 17, 2003

TRENDS IN FEDERAL CAMPAIGN SPENDING,

1990-2010*

TRENDS IN FEDERAL CAMPAIGN SPENDING,

1990-2010*Dr. David B. Cohen

Associate Professor of Political ScienceFellow, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics

The University of Akron

Dr. David B. CohenAssociate Professor of Political Science

Fellow, Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied PoliticsThe University of Akron

*All data drawn from Center for Responsive Politics (opensecrets.org).


TOTAL COST OF OUTSIDE SPENDING, 1990-2010 TOTAL COST OF OUTSIDE SPENDING, 1990-2010

TOTAL OUTSIDE SPENDING, 1990-2010

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100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Election Cycle

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TOTAL OUTSIDE SPENDING, 1990-2010

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100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Election Cycle

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2010 SPENDING BY SUPER PACS

(OVER $1 MIL)

2010 SPENDING BY SUPER PACS

(OVER $1 MIL)

GroupIndependent

View*

Expend

American Crossroads $21,553,277 C

America’s Families First Action Fund

$5,878,743 L

Club for Growth Action $4,996,980 C

NEA Advocacy Fund $4,200,000 L

Women Vote! $3,628,645 L

Commonsense Ten $3,257,033 L

Our Future Ohio PAC $3,068,144 L

Patriot Majority $1,968,700 L

Super PAC for America $1,633,786 C

First Amendment Alliance $1,487,861 C

New Prosperity Foundation $1,478,923 C

Alaskans Standing Together $1,260,000 C

Ending Spending Fund $1,150,000 C

Nat’l Assn of Realtors Congressional Fund

$1,097,266 X


TOP 10 SPENDING BY 527S IN 2010

TOP 10 SPENDING BY 527S IN 2010

CommitteeTotal

ReceiptsTotal

Expend

American Solutions Winning the Future $28,233,447 $28,419,764

Service Employees International Union $14,923,663 $15,534,072

Citizens United $9,211,311 $9,185,145

EMILY’s List $9,001,964 $10,439,329

America Votes $8,883,561 $11,237,974

College Republican National Cmte $8,389,738 $8,621,662

National Education Assn $7,394,838 $7,503,113

Citizens for Strength & Security $7,127,814 $7,216,173

American Crossroads $6,700,312 $1,408,323

GOPAC $5,600,547 $5,210,328


TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL DONORS IN 2010TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL DONORS IN 2010Rank Donor Organization/Occupation Total Viewpoint*

1 Perry, Robert J. & Doylene Perry Homes $7,100,000 C

Houston, TX

2 Hughes, B. Wayne Sr. Public Storage Inc $3,500,000 C

Lexington, KY

3 Eshelman, Fred Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc

$2,979,535 C

Wilmington, NC

4 Rowling, Robert B. & Terry H. TRT Holdings $2,500,000 C

Dallas, TX

5 Rees-Jones, Trevor & Jan Chief Oil & Gas $2,000,000 C

Dallas, TX

6 Ricketts, John J. & Marlene M. TD Ameritrade $1,160,000 C

Omaha, NE

7 Sussman, S. Donald Paloma Partners $1,100,000 L

Greenwich, CT

8 Hunter, Michael & Rachel Consultant $1,072,000 L

Houston, TX

9 Perenchio, A. Jerrold & Margaret Chartwell Partners $1,000,000 C

Los Angeles, CA

10 Stephens, Jackson T. Jr. Exoxemis Inc $775,206 C

Little Rock, AR


TOP 10 OUTSIDE SPENDING BY GROUPS IN 2010TOP 10 OUTSIDE SPENDING BY GROUPS IN 2010

Group Total View*Independent Elec Comm Super

527s† 501cExpenditures Comm Costs PAC

Democratic Congressional Campaign Cmte

$66,187,836 L $66,187,836 $0 $0

National Republican Congressional Cmte

$46,240,566 C $46,240,566 $0 $0

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Cmte

$40,881,597 L $40,881,597 $0 $0

US Chamber of Commerce

$32,851,997 C $0 $32,851,997 $0 X

American Action Network

$26,088,031 C $5,669,821 $20,418,210 $0 X

National Republican Senatorial Cmte

$25,893,910 C $25,893,910 $0 $0

American Crossroads $21,553,277 C $21,553,277 $0 $0 X X

Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies

$17,122,446 C $16,017,664 $1,104,782 $0 X

Service Employees International Union

$15,795,194 L $15,692,364 $0 $102,830 X

American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees

$12,631,170 L $11,995,182 $68,539 $567,449 X


TOP 10 DISCLOSED OUTSIDE SPENDING BY DONORS’ INDUSTRIES IN 2010

TOP 10 DISCLOSED OUTSIDE SPENDING BY DONORS’ INDUSTRIES IN 2010

Rank Industry Total From Orgs From Indiv To Liberals To Conservs

1 Public Sector Unions $10,819,307 $10,819,057 $250 $10,813,750 $0

2 Misc Unions $8,597,684 $8,597,684 $0 $8,497,684 $0

3 Securities & Investment

$7,640,270 $130,500 $7,509,770 $2,546,500 $5,093,770

4 Home Builders $7,137,500 $250 $7,137,250 $1,250 $7,111,250

5 Democratic/Liberal $5,381,672 $5,285,307 $96,365 $5,272,322 $0

6 Retired $4,730,315 $500 $4,729,815 $1,595,639 $3,130,471

7 Pharmaceuticals/Health Products

$4,254,140 $305,000 $3,949,140 $206,649 $4,047,491

8 Lodging/Tourism $4,209,250 $1,500,000 $2,709,250 $202,750 $4,006,500

9 Misc Business $3,825,665 $0 $3,825,665 $72,803 $3,622,862

10 Oil & Gas $3,715,507 $1,047,500 $2,668,007 $31,500 $3,684,007


ANONYMOUS/CORPORATE DONORSANONYMOUS/CORPORATE DONORS• According to office of NYC Public

Advocate Bill de Blasio, independent groups that do not disclose the identity of their donors spent $132.5 million to influence the 2010 elections.

• Anonymous or unlimited corporate spending allowed by Citizens United ruling represented 15% of all federal political spending in 2010.

• According to office of NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, independent groups that do not disclose the identity of their donors spent $132.5 million to influence the 2010 elections.

• Anonymous or unlimited corporate spending allowed by Citizens United ruling represented 15% of all federal political spending in 2010.


THE FUTURETHE FUTURE• Politico article: “To Right, Citizens United Just a Start.” Mar. 18,

2011. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51538.html • “Not satisfied by the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that opened the

floodgates to corporate-sponsored election ads, conservative opponents of campaign finance regulations have opened up a series of new legal fronts in their effort to eliminate the remaining laws restricting the flow of money into politics. They have taken to Congress, state legislatures and the lower courts to target almost every type of regulation on the books: disclosure requirements, bans on foreign and corporate contributions and – in a pair of cases the Supreme Court will consider this month – party spending limits and public financing of campaigns…. While liberals have framed the assault on campaign spending restrictions as part of a vast corporate conspiracy, funded by the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, to elect Republicans, it’s not just conservative groups challenging the campaign laws.”

• E.g. ACLU amicus brief support of Citizens United

• Politico article: “To Right, Citizens United Just a Start.” Mar. 18, 2011. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51538.html

• “Not satisfied by the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that opened the floodgates to corporate-sponsored election ads, conservative opponents of campaign finance regulations have opened up a series of new legal fronts in their effort to eliminate the remaining laws restricting the flow of money into politics. They have taken to Congress, state legislatures and the lower courts to target almost every type of regulation on the books: disclosure requirements, bans on foreign and corporate contributions and – in a pair of cases the Supreme Court will consider this month – party spending limits and public financing of campaigns…. While liberals have framed the assault on campaign spending restrictions as part of a vast corporate conspiracy, funded by the billionaire industrialist Koch brothers, to elect Republicans, it’s not just conservative groups challenging the campaign laws.”

• E.g. ACLU amicus brief support of Citizens United

Documents

TRENDS IN FEDERAL CAMPAIGN SPENDING, 1990-2010*