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cover of episode Who's paying to elect the president?

Who's paying to elect the president?

2024/11/5
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Consider This from NPR
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Daniel Wiener
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Topics
Mary Louise Kelly: 本节目探讨了2024年美国总统大选的巨额资金支出，以及来自亿万富翁和超级政治行动委员会的资金对选举的影响。报道了哈里斯竞选活动创纪录的筹款额，以及马斯克对特朗普竞选活动的巨额捐款。节目还讨论了选举资金的来源以及对民主的影响。 Daniel Wiener: Daniel Wiener 指出，2024年大选的巨额资金支出令人担忧，但他更关注资金的来源。他认为，来自数百万美国人的小额捐款与少数亿万富翁的大额捐款之间存在巨大差异。自2010年公民联合案判决以来，越来越多的资金来自最富有的捐赠者，超级政治行动委员会发挥了重要作用，并且法律执行不力。他分析了特朗普和哈里斯竞选活动的资金来源，指出特朗普竞选活动将大部分工作外包给了由埃隆·马斯克等人士资助的超级政治行动委员会；而哈里斯则采用了更传统的模式，主要依靠其竞选委员会的筹款，但也受益于外部资金。他还讨论了“暗钱”对选举的影响，以及在激烈的选举环境下，双方都会利用一切合法的筹款手段。他认为，关键问题不是如何让资金远离政治，而是资金的来源。他希望看到更多的小额捐款和透明的大额捐款，并认为哈里斯将选举改革作为其竞选的核心承诺具有重要意义。最后，他认为政治支出本身并非坏事，但来自少数寡头的大量资金对政治体系有害。 Elon Musk: 埃隆·马斯克通过其美国超级政治行动委员会向特朗普竞选活动捐款超过1.18亿美元，并承诺如果特朗普当选，将担任一个新的效率职位。他还开展了鼓励选民支持第一和第二修正案的活动。 Kamala Harris: 哈里斯的竞选活动在三个月内筹集了创纪录的10亿美元。虽然她曾批评企业资金和政治行动委员会，但在本次竞选活动中，她似乎并不介意从外部资金中获益。 Donald Trump: 特朗普的竞选活动主要依赖于富有的个人对支持他的超级政治行动委员会的大额捐款，并承诺如果当选，将任命马斯克担任一个新的效率职位。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why is the 2024 presidential election expected to be the most expensive in history?

The 2024 election is projected to cost nearly $16 billion, driven by extensive campaign activities like rallies, ads, and get-out-the-vote efforts, all of which require substantial funding.

How has outside money influenced the 2024 presidential election?

Outside money, particularly from billionaires like Elon Musk, has played a significant role, with Musk alone contributing over $118 million to support Trump's campaign, highlighting the growing influence of wealthy donors.

What impact does the Citizens United decision have on campaign financing?

The Citizens United decision in 2010 removed many limits on campaign fundraising and spending, leading to the rise of super PACs that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, thereby increasing the influence of big money in elections.

How does Kamala Harris's campaign financing compare to Trump's?

While both campaigns benefit from significant outside money, Harris's campaign follows a more traditional model with a strong base of smaller donors, whereas Trump's campaign relies heavily on massive contributions from wealthy individuals funneled through super PACs.

What is the potential issue with appointing major donors to key positions in government?

Appointing major donors to key positions, like Trump's proposal to name Musk to an efficiency role, raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, especially when the donor has significant financial interests in government contracts.

What does Daniel Wiener suggest as a solution to the influence of big money in politics?

Wiener advocates for more transparency in campaign financing and a shift towards more small donations, arguing that while politics will always cost money, it's crucial to ensure that the source of that money is diverse and transparent.

Chapters
The presidential campaign involves significant financial investments in rallies, ads, and get-out-the-vote efforts. This chapter explores the record-breaking fundraising efforts, particularly by Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, and the role of wealthy donors like Elon Musk.
  • The 2024 federal election cycle is estimated to cost nearly $16 billion.
  • Kamala Harris' campaign raised a record billion dollars in three months.
  • Elon Musk has contributed over $118 million to Trump's campaign through his America PAC.

Shownotes Transcript

The homestretch of the presidential campaign means huge rallies, a final barrage of campaign ads, and massive multi-state get out the vote efforts. All of that costs money.And it seems like every successive presidential election ends up being the most expensive election in history.Open Secrets, a group that tracks election spending, estimates the 2024 federal election cycle will cost nearly $16 billion. It was around $15 billion in 2020.Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign raised a record billion dollars in just three months.And, according to Open Secrets, tech billionaire Elon Musk has poured more than $118-million into his America PAC in support of former President Donald Trump.As we publish this episode Tuesday afternoon, we don't know who will win this election. But we do know that outside money has played a bigger role than ever before.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org). Email us at [email protected].)Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)