Two-Thirds Of Americans Believe Money Buys Elections

Two-Thirds Of Americans Believe Money Buys Elections

Except it doesn’t

Everybody knows that money buys elections. That’s what opponents of the Citizens United decision have been ominously warning us for six years, and their message resonates. A CNN poll found that 67 percent of Americans think that “elections are generally for sale to the candidate who can raise the most money.”

The trouble is that there is very little evidence for this. Even though the candidate with the most money usually wins, the general rule is that money chases winners rather than creates winners. People give to candidates they think are likely to win, and incumbents (who almost always win) and candidates in safe districts still raise money, even if they’re not challenged. On the flip side, donors and parties don’t waste support...