Summary of US Election Costs 1860-2000 and Contribution Limit Data
Costs of Presidential General Elections in Current and Constant (2002)
Dollars, 1860 through 2000 (note: public funding began 1976)
$400,000,000
$366 million
$350,000,000
Democratic and Republican party candidates only.
Starting 1976, data include spending by parties on behalf
of candidates but not spending by independent groups.
Also excluded is non-candidate advertising spending by
parties, which is quite large in 1996 and especially 2000.
$300,000,000
$250,000,000
$200,000,000
$150,000,000
$100,000,000
$50,000,000
$0
1860
1868
1876
1884
1892
1900
1908
1916
1924
Current Dollars
1932
1940
1948
1956
1964
1972
1980
1988
Constant Dollars
Source of current-dollar data: to 1988: Herbert Alexander, Financing Politics , 4th edition
(CQ Press, 1992), p. 80; 1992-2000: Anthony Corrado, published sources.
sumcamp.pdf
06/11/03
© 2003 Robert C. Sahr, Political Science Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-6206
e-mail: [email protected]; WWW: http://www.orst.edu/Dept/pol_sci/fac/sahr/sahrhome.html
1996
Summary of US Election Costs 1860-2000 and Contribution Limit Data, page 2
Costs of Republican and Democratic Presidential General Election
Campaigns in Constant (2002) Dollars, 1860 through 2000
(note: public funding began 1976)
$300,000,000
$260 million
Starting 1976, data include spending by parties on behalf
of candidates but not spending by independent groups.
Also excluded is non-candidate advertising spending by
parties, which is quite large in 1996 and especially 2000.
$250,000,000
$200,000,000
$150,000,000
$114 million
$127 million
$100,000,000
$70 million
$50,000,000
$0
1860
1868
1876
1884
1892
1900
1908
1916
1924
1932
Democratic
1940
1948
1956
1964
1972
Republican
Note: "X" in Republican series indicates winner and open diamond in Democratic series indicates winner
Source of current-dollar data: to 1988: Herbert Alexander, Financing Politics , 4th edition
(CQ Press, 1992), p. 80; 1992-2000: Anthony Corrado, published sources.
1980
1988
1996
Summary of US Election Costs 1860-2000 and Contribution Limit Data, page 3
Value Needed to Equal Campaign Contribution Limits of 1974 in
Inflation-Adjusted Dollars of Each Year 1974 to 2003
$100,000
$90,000
Read this chart as follows: To equal in value
the $25,000 per year individual limit set in 1974
would require about $89,000 in the year 2003
$80,000
$70,000
$60,000
$50,000
$40,000
$30,000
$20,000
$10,000
$0
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
$1,000 Individual to candidate per prim ary or general election
$20,000 Individual to natl party com m ittee per year
$25,000 Individual total per calendar year
$5,000 PAC to candidate per prim ary or general election and individual or PAC to any other political com m ittee per year
$15,000 PAC to natl party com m ittee per year
2002
Summary of US Election Costs 1860-2000 and Contribution Limit Data, page 4
Inflation-adjusted Value of 1974 Campaign Contribution Limits Each
Year 1974 to 2003
$30,000
Read this chart as follows: The $25,000
per year individual limit set in 1974
equals about $7,000 in inflation-adjusted
(2002) dollars in the year 2003
$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
$0
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
$1,000 Individual to candidate per prim ary or general election
$20,000 Individual to national party com m ittee per year
$25,000 Individual total per calendar year
$5,000 PAC to candidate per prim ary or general election or individual or PAC to other political com m ittee per year
$15,000 PAC to national party com m ittee per year
2002