More is Less

From our friends at Public Agenda:

Election Spending Reaches New High
A record $3.1 billion will be spent in the 2006 elections, an amount that is 14.5 percent higher than the 2004 elections that included a billion dollar presidential race. According to the research firm PQ Media, about half of the total dollars go to broadcast TV, and direct mail accounts for 23 percent. Spending in gubernatorial races will exceed $1 billion for the first time. Spending for House candidates will rise 38 percent, to $744 million, and Senate contenders are spending $705 million, up 40 percent from 2004.

Half of Americans say they are dissatisfied with the nation’s campaign finance laws. At the same time, most of the public does not see campaign finance reform as an election issue or a priority for Congress. These findings suggest opinion on this issue is unstable. And despite the apparent mandate for reform, people remain uncertain as to the best way to clean up what is widely perceived as a “dirty” system. For example, a majority of Americans (59 percent) are “very bothered” by the amount of money candidates spend, but responses on how effective new legislation would be can vary depending on the way questions are worded.