Campaign Finance: Regulating Money in Politics

The United States has one of the most permissive campaign finance systems among established democracies, particularly following the Supreme Court's decisions in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) and McCutcheon v. FEC (2014), which struck down restrictions on independent expenditures and aggregate contribution limits. Total spending on U.S. elections far exceeds that of any other democracy, with presidential cycles exceeding $14 billion.

The United Kingdom imposes strict spending limits on candidates and parties during election periods, with a national spending cap for parties and constituency-level caps for individual candidates. Campaign periods are short—typically five to six weeks—compared to the multi-year U.S. presidential campaign cycle. Canada similarly limits election spending, bans corporate and union contributions, and caps individual donations at modest levels.

Germany provides substantial public funding for political parties based on votes received, supplemented by private donations with disclosure requirements. France provides public campaign financing, limits spending, bans corporate donations, and requires financial accountability through an independent commission. Both nations restrict paid political advertising on television, relying instead on free broadcast time allocated to parties.