210 CHAPTER 7|ELECTIONS
each election cycle: control of the federal government, with a budget of about $3
trillion a year and the power to start wars and regulate many aspects of citizens’
lives. Also, the total amount spent on electioneering represents all funding for the
435 House contests, 33 or 34 Senate races, and a presidential election. Moreover,
in terms of television advertising alone, a 30-second ad on a major network can
cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.^33 Given that even House campaigns
may run hundreds of ads, and presidential campaigns run tens of thousands, it is
easy to see why campaign costs pile up so quickly.
The principal concern about all this campaign cash is that the amount of money
spent on a candidate’s campaign might matter more than the candidate’s qualifi -
cations or issue positions. That is, a candidate—in particular, a wealthy one who
can self-fund his campaign—could get elected regardless of how good a job he
would do, simply because he has more money than competing candidates to pay
for ads, polls, a large staff , and mobilization eff orts. Another concern is that indi-
viduals and organizations or corporations that can aff ord to make large contribu-
tions (or to fund their own electioneering eff orts) might be able to dictate election
outcomes or, by funding certain candidates’ campaigns, garner disproportionate
infl uence over the subsequent behavior of elected offi cials.
However, there is little evidence that campaign contributions alter legislators’
behavior or that contributors are rewarded with votes supporting their causes
or favorable policies.^34 Contributions may help contributors gain access, getting
an appointment to present arguments to a politician or her staff. But people and
organizations who contribute are already friendly with the politicians they sup-
port, and the politicians would likely hear their arguments in any case.
In sum, although money helps to shape elections, claims about the power of
large contributors and big spenders are typically overstated. Much of the cam-
paign spending in American elections is funded by average Americans making
small donations. Moreover, no candidate, political organization, or corporation
has the ability to dominate the airwaves and crowd out other voices. In the end,
citizens are exposed to campaign advertising from a variety of sources, and they
must decide which arguments to take seriously.How Do Voters Decide?
All the electoral activities we have considered so far are directed at citizens: mak-
ing sure they are registered to vote, infl uencing their vote decisions, and getting
them to the polls. Now we examine how citizens respond to these infl uences. The
fi rst things to understand are that only a minority of citizens report high levels of
interest in campaigns, many people know little about the candidates or the issues,
and many people do not vote.^35The Decision to Vote
Politics is everywhere, but getting involved is your choice; voting and other forms
of political participation are optional. Even a strong preference between two can-
didates may not drive a citizen to the polls because each person’s vote is just one
of many.^36 The only time a vote “counts,” in the sense that it changes the outcome,EXPLAIN THE KEY FACTORS
THAT INFLUENCE VOTERS’
CHOICES