Do you believe money and election campaigns have any relationship? Many of you may assert the both things are deeply interconnected. That is true to a great extent that fund raising for political parties is done mostly for winning elections, placing stronger candidates, spending on election campaigns and using the money for election gains.
You might have heard the quote “Money changes everything” and it applies better in the politics. Most of the political parties around the world believe money is necessary and a determinant of if the candidates will win elections. When we see the trends and elections spending around the world, things become further clearer.
In US the candidates raised more money for 2016 election as compared to the candidates who contested elections in 2012. The election campaign of incumbent US president Trump was heavily based on money. He remained one of the richest people in the world and was successful to launch a perfect election campaign with his own money.
Further going to other countries around the world, the candidates spend heft amounts to buy voters. What they do is to invest money in form of building structures, offering services, roads, colleges, markets and medical clinics just before elections. The money spent on such things belongs to the candidates, not the government money.
Candidates Spending More Money Usually Win
Reports on the US elections show that candidates who spent more money won the seats. More than 90% candidates with more election spending and used political fundraising software were successful. This trend from 2000 to 2016 shows that it is true in every US election except in 2010. However, 86% of the top spenders also won in that election.
Most of the money spent by candidates in elections is collected in fund raising campaigns. Political parties start such moves before elections, use their members and voters to get the money. The party that collects more money gets in a stronger position to spend more for every single candidate.
A professor from Washington State University said that major use of the election money can be found in advertisements. In 2012 and 2014, senate election campaigns spent 43% of the election money on ads whereas House campaign poured 33% of the money into ads. The situation in presidential elections is even more interesting. The election campaign of Obama in 2012 spent more than 70% of the election spending on ads.
Winning Attracts Money, Not Money Wins Victory
However, there are some political scientists like Richard Lau, professor of political science at Rutgers, who believe winning attracts money. According to the experts’ money alone is not the factor that makes a candidate win elections. But it can never be ignored money has a role in this regard.
Adam Bonica who manages data on politics and money and elections believes that money can’t help the incumbents win elections. In other words, the opposition parties use the money to get the votes. Or it can also be put this way, the public may be offended with the incumbents and the opposition realizes this and puts more money into elections to ensure win.
Money Does Matter at Times
There is no doubt money is a powerful option to use in the election campaigns. If it was not the case, political parties around the world would never start fund raising campaigns and collect billions of dollars for election campaigns. Paul Ryan spent around $13 million in 2016 against a guy who spent just $16000. The former won the election.
One other thing that should be noted is that most of the candidates contesting elections are independently wealthy. They are the privileged and have enough to spend millions of dollars in the election campaigns. Money can make people aware that a candidate is racing for what cause but can’t surely win you elections. Neither do the ads which have little impact on election campaigns. Here your team’s election campaign ideas come into play.
