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Money Makes the Vote Go Round?

by Dr. Hardy Ostry, Jan Bösche

Campaign Finances in U.S. Elections

The election campaign in the USA is entering its final stretch. The success of a candidate is measured not only by polls but also by donations. Political parties in the USA rely on contributions from citizens and companies to support their efforts. This involves billions of dollars and significant influence, though not always success. The last election campaign in 2020 set a record: 14.4 billion US dollars were spent on presidential and congressional elections, twice as much as in 2016.
October 29, 2024 Ordering Information

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Election campaigns are expensive, especially in the USA. The media regularly report on the candidates’ campaign budgets. In August, Vice President Kamala Harris managed to raise more money than former President Trump: 189 million dollars compared to 44 million dollars. These sums only include the income from the election campaigns; the parties have also raised millions in recent months. Additionally, there are other organizations that campaign on behalf of the candidates.

The full-length publication is only available in German.

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Dr. Hardy Ostry

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Head of the Washington, D.C. office

hardy.ostry@kas.de
Topic Page "US Elections 2024"
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The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung is a political foundation. Our offices abroad are in charge of over 200 projects in more than 120 countries. The country reports offer current analyses, exclusive evaluations, background information and forecasts - provided by our international staff.