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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Guide to 2016 Campaign: Money and Super PAC 金钱和政治行动委员会领导2016年总统竞选
Money, lots of it, is what it takes to win the presidency1 of the United States.
When Richard Nixon won re-election in 1972, the Center for Responsive Politics has estimated that the presidential election cost just $300 million in today’s dollars.
In the 2008 presidential campaign, candidates raised and spent more than $1 billion, a new record. Only four years later, the cost of the campaign more than doubled to $2.6 billion as Barack Obama won re-election over Mitt2 Romney.
Observers say the eventual3 nominees4 for the 2016 presidential elections will double that amount again. The candidates could spend up to $2 billion each to get to the White House. And the total costs could reach $10 billion for the presidential and congressional races. That amount is more than five times the “gross domestic product” or GDP of the Asian country of Bhutan. GDP is the value of all the products and services produced by a country, usually measured in a year.
Citizens United court decision
The amount of money raised and spent has exploded since 2010. That is when the U.S. Supreme5 Court changed America’s election laws. The court’s decision, known as “Citizens United,” took away most limits on spending and fundraising for elections by outside political groups. Citizens United argued that raising and spending money is free speech, a first amendment6 right. They won.
Dave Levinthal is the senior political reporter at the Center for Public Integrity. He says “Citizens United” changed the way elections work in the U.S. by allowing money to flow into the political system that was illegal before. He says both sides feel strongly about the subject.
“On one hand you’ve got free speech, and the first amendment to the constitution, on the other side you say well, this is really just about the validity of our elections and the ability for candidates to run without feeling like their election is getting bought by the highest bidder7.”
There are still limits on how much people, companies and political action committees (PAC) can contribute directly to candidates and political parties. For example, an individual can only give a candidate a total of $2,700 each election.
But there is no limit on the amount of money they can give to a “super PAC.” Super PACs are large political action committees. Both Democrats8 and Republicans have created them to raise large amount of money to assist their candidates.
The election rule bans campaigns and super PACs from working together. They cannot discuss common strategies or plans. They cannot share important information like opinion surveys or polls. Candidates can attend the super PAC events, but they are not allowed to ask people for unlimited9 donations.
Mr. Levinthal says the looser campaign rules now allow candidates to “double dip.” They can run their own campaigns, and they can have a super PAC, run by friends, or even family members.
“So it means that super PACs, since they can and raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, in a way are shadow campaigns, or parallel campaigns for the candidate’s actual campaign operation that he or she is running. ”
The limits on how much contact a candidate can have with a super PAC only starts once he or she officially declares they are running for office. Some politicians delay their announcements so they can continue to work closely with their super PAC.
Campaign financing for 2016
The race for money started early in the 2016 campaign.
In January of this year, probable Republican candidate Jeb Bush and his supporters launched the “Right to Rise PAC.” The PAC says it supports candidates “with a positive, conservative vision of reform and renewal10.” But the only probable candidate on the PAC website is Jeb Bush himself.
At the same time, a super PAC with the same name “Right to Rise Super PAC” was launched and raised $100,000 within minutes. Politico reported that the Right to Rise super PAC will likely raise $100 million before Jeb Bush is even an official candidate.
Mr. Levinthal says Democrats are catching11 up to Republicans in the big money race.
“They’re competing with Republicans in a major way to use these committees, these vehicles that they can use to raise and spend a whole heck of a lot of money, and they’re doing that to their great advantage.”
At a campaign stop in Iowa on May 18, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton stated her position on the “Citizens United” court decision. She said, "I will do everything I can do to appoint Supreme Court justices who will protect the right to vote and not the right of billionaires to buy elections."
For now, Clinton is attending gatherings12 of “Priorities USA Action” and meeting possible donors13 through this super PAC. One such meeting was at the home of billionaire Tom Steyer, who spent $74 million of his own money in the 2014 election. The New York Times reported that Priorities USA Action hopes to raise $200 to $300 million. That is a similar amount to what top Republican organizations are raising.
Why do they need all this money? Money is the fuel that gets a candidate elected. To get to the White House, a candidate must be able to run a 50 state campaign. Money is needed for operating costs that go with those campaign office buildings and people and salaries and advertising14. Candidates need dollars to get their messages out on social media, television and radio stations, and into peoples’ mailboxes.
Whether the amount raised reaches the $10 billion dollar estimate, or not, no doubt it will break all records. 2016 will be the most expensive election yet.
Words in This Story
validity – n. something that is legally or officially binding15 or acceptable.
bidder – n. someone who offers to pay for something (who makes a bid)
looser – adj. not as tightly held or controlled
salaries – n. the amount someone is paid to do a job
expensive – adj. something that costs a lot to buy
1 presidency | |
n.总统(校长,总经理)的职位(任期) | |
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2 mitt | |
n.棒球手套,拳击手套,无指手套;vt.铐住,握手 | |
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3 eventual | |
adj.最后的,结局的,最终的 | |
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4 nominees | |
n.被提名者,被任命者( nominee的名词复数 ) | |
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5 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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6 amendment | |
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案 | |
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7 bidder | |
n.(拍卖时的)出价人,报价人,投标人 | |
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8 democrats | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士( democrat的名词复数 ) | |
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9 unlimited | |
adj.无限的,不受控制的,无条件的 | |
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10 renewal | |
adj.(契约)延期,续订,更新,复活,重来 | |
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11 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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12 gatherings | |
聚集( gathering的名词复数 ); 收集; 采集; 搜集 | |
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13 donors | |
n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 );献血者;捐血者;器官捐献者 | |
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14 advertising | |
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的 | |
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15 binding | |
有约束力的,有效的,应遵守的 | |
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