Money & Politics News

- Major party congressional candidates who raised the most money won 90 percent of their primary races in 2002, according to FEC data. Winning candidates out-raised their opponents by a margin of 4-to-1, with the winners raising an average of $464,000 and losers raising $99,000.

- While only 0.07 percent of voting age Americans made a contribution to a candidate of $1,000 or more, these large donations accounted for nearly three-quarters of itemized individual contributions received by primary candidates. Contributions of $500 and above, made by less than 0.2 percent of Americans, accounted for more than 90 percent of all itemized individual contributions.

"These findings are troubling for our democracy," said Tracy Sturdivant, Senior Legislative and Outreach Associate for Public Campaign. "When less than one percent of Americans provide more than 90 percent of the contributions from individuals to candidates, we don't have a government of, by, and for the people."

"The voices of local residents are being heavily diluted by outside influences," continued Lioz. "People who don't live and work in a state's communities, breathe its air, and drink its water shouldn't determine who represents that state in Congress."

The report drew attention to the many qualified candidates who lose races, are forced to drop out, or never run in the first place because they are unable or unwilling to raise large sums of money from wealthy contributors. Just as policies that discriminate by sex or race limit the talent pool in society and hold back progress, say the authors, the "wealth primary" system has severely limited the public service talent available for solving society's most pressing problems.

"Unfortunately, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a poor American—or someone who turns her back on big money—to enter the halls of Congress," Lioz maintained.

U.S. PIRG called for lower contribution limits, mandatory limits on campaign spending, free TV and radio time for candidates, tax credits for small political contributions and limits on out-of-state contributions to level the playing field for non-wealthy candidates and voters.

"The fact that Congress just doubled the amount that large donors can give to candidates as part of the McCain-Feingold bill will give an even smaller group of people even more control over our elections," said Lioz. "If we are to have government that is accountable to the people, we need grassroots politics, funded by average Americans," he concluded.

U.S. PIRG is the national lobby office for the state PIRGs. Public Interest Research Groups are state-based non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations.