Campaign Finance and Its Impact in the 2016 Presidential Campaign

Abstract

This chapter explores the campaign finance issues in the 2016 presidential election. Because understanding campaign finance requires a grasp of federal election laws, this chapter provides a brief and understandable overview of campaign finance laws. Next, this chapter discusses the campaign expenditures and impact the hotly contested presidential primaries had for the general election campaign. This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the campaign fundraising and expenditures of the Clinton and Trump campaigns as well as joint fundraising committees and super-political action committees, and concludes with analysis of why Donald Trump lost the money contest, but won the presidential election in 2016.