Campaign Finance Reform

Money has been called the mother's milk of politics. Today, candidates need more and more of it to run for office. It typically costs $500,000 to run for a seat in the House of Representatives, and Senate campaigns run into the millions. And this year's presidential candidates have raised $125 million besides the money they get from public campaign financing. Candidates spend much of their time raising money, and a large part of their funds come from special interest groups known as political action committees (PACs). Many members of Congress want to control spending and tighten limits on contributions from individuals and PACs. But opponents say contribution and spending limits hamper political competition and hurt rather than help the political system.