Game Changers - How Dark Money and Super Pacs Are Transforming U.s. Campaigns

A supplemental textbook that shows how outside groups, specifically dark money groups and super PACs, are profoundly changing political campaigns since Citizens United v. FEC (2010).

List of contents

Preface
About the Authors

1. Super PACs and Dark Money as Game Changers
Understanding Differences Among Groups
Trump vs Pro-Trump Groups
How are Campaigns Changing?
Campaign Finance
Candidate-Group Signaling, Group-Group Coordination, and Candidate-Voter Communication
Effects on Political Parties
Dark Money Groups and Anonymity
Representation and Political Influence
Conclusion
Additional Reading

2. The First Amendment and Legal Issues
First Amendment Theory
The Marketplace of Ideas Model
The Self-Governance Model
The Liberty Model
Significant Legislation and Court Cases
The Federal Election Campaign Act
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life Inc. (2007)
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
SpeechNow v. FEC (2010)
McCutcheon v. FEC (2014)
Legal Issues Related to Political Campaigns: Four Tensions
To What Extent Should "Corporations" Have First Amendment Rights?
(When) Should Money be Protected as Speech?
Where Should We Draw the Lines of Responsiveness and Corruption?
Campaign Transparency: Do Voters Have a Right to Know Who Is Funding Campaign-Related Speech?
Conclusion
Additional Reading

3. Donors, Group Expenditures, and Representation
Donors
Super PAC Donors
Super PAC Recipients
Dark Money Donors
Dark Money Recipients
Group Expenditures
Purpose of Super PAC Expenditures
Ideological Breakdown of Dark Money Spending
Political Activity Versus Social Welfare
Nonprofits' Political Spending and Activities
Implications of Findings
"So What?" Effects on Candidates and Representation
Conclusion
Additional Reading

4. New Trends in Presidential Campaigns
Democratic Candidates, Trump, and Outside Groups in the 2020 Presidential Campaign
New Trends Since Citizens United
Playing the Delay Game
The Staff Shell Game
The New Money Primary
The Presidential Primary Vacuum
The Increasing Importance of Leadership PACs
Playing Pinball with Joint Fundraising Committees
Official Party Committees
Super PAC Activities Without Coordination
Super PACs Versus Incumbent Presidents During the Primaries
The Republican Conundrum: Super PAC Help vs. Damaged Goods Theory
Coordinated Expenditures and the Parties' Ground Game
The Small Donor Revolution
Conclusion
Additional Reading

5. New Trends in Congressional Campaigns
What We Know From the Literature
Congressional Campaign Trends Since Citizens United
Independent Expenditures
The Electoral Strategy: A Focus on Competitive Races and the Ideological Composition of Congress
Organizational Diversity Among Super PACs and Its Impact
Organized Blitz Campaigns and Continuous Ad Firestorms
Super PACs Disclosing their Donors After an Election
Effects on Political Parties
Outside Group Effect
Conclusion
Additional Reading

6. Political Advertising in the Post-Citizens United Era
Outside Group Advertisements in Federal Elections Since 2010
2010: Congressional Midterm Elections
2012: Presidential and Congressional Elections
2014: Congressional Midterm Elections
2016: Presidential and Congressional Elections
2018: Congressional Midterm Elections
Anonymity and Accountability
Astroturfing
Deception in the Content of Group Ads
Why Disclosure Matters
Digital Political Advertising
Native Advertising
Microtargeting
Foreign Dark Money and Digital Advertising
The Tone and Content of Political Ads
Tone and Content in Outside Group Ads
Case Study: The 2018 Florida Senate Race
Case Study: Outside Groups Against Trump in 2020
Does Political Advertising Matter?
Free Media Coverage
Conclusion
Additional Reading

7. Ideas for Reform
Increase "Hard Money" Contribution Limits
Variation: Allow Parties and PACs but Not Candidates to Receive Increased Donations
Problems Hard Money Contribution Increases Can Reduce
Public Funding
Fully Funded Public Elections
Matching Funds
Partial Public Funding
Tax Incentives
Vouchers
Drawbacks of Public Funding
Benefits of Public Funding
Super PAC and Independent Expenditure Insurance
Drawbacks of Super PAC Insurance
Benefits of Super PAC Insurance
Legislative Recusal
Drawbacks of Recusal Rules
Benefits of Recusal Rules
Disclosure Reform
Reporting and Collecting Donor and Expenditure Information
A Disclosure Plan for Better Dissemination
Disclaimers
Digital Ad Disclaimers
Drawbacks of Enhanced Disclosure and a Compromise
Benefits of Better Disclosure
Federal Election Commission Reform
Judicial Reform
Conclusion
Additional Reading

Index

About the author

Henrik M. Schatzinger is associate professor and chair of politics and government at Ripon College, where he teaches and conducts research on interest groups and money in politics. He is also codirector of the Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College, which organizes numerous events to promote constructive political debate. Schatzinger's research has examined the timing of campaign contributions and as a research analyst for the Campaign Finance Institute (2008-9), he has examined how democracy can be strengthened through small donors and volunteers. A new article coauthored by Schatzinger on lobbying for federal contracts is forthcoming in Social Science Quarterly. Schatzinger is teaching courses on campaigns and elections, interest groups, and money in politics.

Steven E. Martin holds a PhD in rhetoric from Penn State University. He is professor of communication at Ripon College, where he teaches courses on presidential rhetoric and political campaigns. He has authored articles and book chapters, most recently about Scott Walker's anti-union discourse and Colin Kaepernick's conflict with the NFL.

Product details

• Authors: Steven E Martin, Steven E. Martin, Henrik M Schatzinger, Henrik M. Schatzinger, Henrik M. Martin Schatzinger
• Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 18.02.2020
• EAN: 9781538136171
• ISBN: 978-1-5381-3617-1
• No. of pages: 252
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Political Parties, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / Political Parties, Political campaigning & advertising, Political campaigning and advertising, Elections & referenda, Political parties and party platforms, Elections and referenda / suffrage