More expensive elections.

PositionGRAPH: NATIONAL

Members of Congress spend an Increasing amount of their time running for re-election (see article, page 12). A big reason is the amount of campaign money they must raise if they want to keep their seats. As the graph shows, total spending in House races has skyrocketed in the past four decades, with most campaign contributions coming from Individuals and political action committees (PACs), which are private groups that raise money to support specific candidates. Almost half of campaign spending these days goes toward TV ads. Millions more are spent on radio and Web ads.

ANALYZE THE GRAPH

(1) The highest total spending in House of Representatives races occurred In --.

a 1996

b 2006

c 2010

d 2012

(2) The largest increase In House campaign spending was between.

a 1980 and 1982

b 1994 and 1996

c 1998 and 2000

d 2004 and 2006

(3) In 1988, about $160 million was spent by Incumbents seeking re-election. About how much did other candidates spend?

a $47 million

b $65 million

c $88 million

d $96 million

(4) In 2008, with 435 House seats up for grabs, what was the approximate average amount spent per seat?

a $1.1 million

b $1.9 million

c $2.5 million

d $2.8 million

(5) No major third-party candidates ran for the House In 2012. The Democratic candidates spent $402 million. About how much did the Republican candidates spend?

a $522 million

b $651 million

c $688 million

d $702 million

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(1) In early 2010, a U.S. Supreme Court decision loosened restrictions on whether and how much labor unions, corporations, and other groups could donate to a candidate's campaign. How do you think this decision has affected House races?

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