Financing the 2008 Election Assessing Reform

The latest installment of a series that dates back nearly half a century, Financing the 2008 Election is the definitive analysis of how campaign finance and spending shaped the historic presidential and congressional races of 2008.

Since 1960, Financing the Election volumes have presented authoritative information on the costs and trends of campaign finance in the United States. In establishing the parameters of electoral campaigns and political spending as well as interpreting the results, Financing the 2008 Election provides an indispensable resource for anyone concerned with the current state of money and politics.

Drawing on years of experience and research as well as close access to important political operations, Dave Magleby, Anthony Corrado, and their colleagues paint the portrait of campaign financing's role in one of America's most remarkable Novembers. Clearly, that role was key, as Obama's decision to forgo public financing and the Democrats' unusual position of raising more money than the Republicans helped pave the way for their historic victory on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Over 100 interviews with candidates' staff, party committees, interest group participants, and key observers provide additional authenticity to the analysis as well as the personal flavor of the personalities, the activities, and the rush that make competitive politics irresistible to so many people.

Contents

1. Introduction and Overview
2. The Regulatory Environment
3. Financing the 2008 Presidential Nomination
4. Financing the 2008 Presidential General Election
5. Financing the 2008 Congressional Election
6. Political Parties and the 2008 Election
7. Interest Groups and the 2008 Election
8. Lessons for Reformers from the 2008 Election

Contributors include Allan J. Cigler (University of Kansas), Anthony Corrado, John Green (University of Akron), Paul S. Herrnson (University of Maryland), David B. Magleby, and Thomas E. Mann (Brookings).