Election Report: The Importance of Small Donations

The 2004 presidential race is already breaking fundraising records, and it’s only May.

So far, the candidates have raised a combined $400 million, which is twice the amount raised at this point in the 2000 presidential campaign. Campaign financing experts estimate that the Bush/Kerry race will become the first to hit the $1-billion mark.

But more remarkable than the soaring dollar amount is the upsurge in individual donors. Already, Bush and Kerry have received donations from 700,000 more people than did Bush and Gore four years ago, according to the L.A. Times.

Individual donations

Individual donations are more essential to campaigns than ever before. The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform laws - passed by Congress in 2002 and upheld by the Supreme Court in 2003 - limit large contributions to political parties called "soft money." Therefore, candidates can no longer rely on unions, corporations, and millionaires to fund their campaigns.

On the flip side, McCain-Feingold increases the amount that individuals can give to candidates; the limit is up to $2,000 from $1,000. Taken together, these features of McCain-Feingold increase the importance of personal donations.

Technology

Experts say that the Internet is partly responsible for the surge in donors. All it takes to send $5 to a candidate is a point, a click, and a credit card.

Michael Cornfield, professor at George Washington University, studies the Internet’s influence on politics. Cornfield explained to the Washington Post that the web encourages "impulse giving," a phenomenon that The Post likened to impulse shopping - spontaneously buying things off of television or the Internet. Cornfield explained that a person may become enraged or inspired by a political event and now has the power to give immediately. Technology makes it possible to donate in the midst of a stirring speech or rousing news report.

Heightened partisanship

The most common explanation for the increase in donors is heightened partisan feelings. Experts say that intense loyalty or distaste for President Bush is inspiring donations, even from those who have never given before.

The Republican National Committee claims that it has received contributions from more than a million first-time donors during the first three years of Bush’s presidency. These donors’ average contribution was about $30.

John Kerry is also receiving a barrage of small donations. Kerry’s campaign estimates that 400,000 individuals have contributed so far. According to the Washington Post, one-third of all donations to the Democratic candidates in the 2004 primary were under $200. President Bush is also receiving more small donations; 20 percent of contributions to his campaign are under $200, up from 10 percent in the 2000 race.

Where is the money going?

Sharon Cohen of the Associated Press reports that 70 percent of campaign funds will go to television ads.

While this may be disheartening to some, others say that the candidates’ use of mass media results in greater civic education. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, told the AP that the great sums of money raised by political campaigns are essentially used to educate voters on candidates’ records and positions.

But how educational are most political ads? Do voters really get to know the issues and candidates through 30-second commercials?

At the very least, such ads engage the viewer in the political process, and the money spent on them shouldn’t bother people, Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie told the L.A. Times: "When you look at the amount of money spent to get people to vote and participate in the political system," he said, "it pales in comparison to what is spent to get people to buy toothpaste."

The color of money

The close relationship between money and political campaigns is nothing new. Mark Hanna, manager of William McKinley’s 1896 campaign, once said, "There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money - and I can’t remember what the second one is."

Hanna’s century-old observation still resonates, but Hanna’s strategy, which was to collect huge gifts from corporations, is no longer possible. This election, much of the money is coming from the people, and when individual voters donate, they are participating more fully in the process.

Donate $5 to a candidate, and you’ll feel more connected to the campaign of your choice. To choose a candidate, don’t rely on campaign ads; continue to use WomenMatter to monitor the Life Issues that matter to you. Sign up for an e alert, discuss your ideas with other WomenMatter readers in one of our online forums, and register to vote. Your voice matters.

Article Posted on: 5/7/2004