For anyone who has ever heard the term "Washington insider" and felt outside — we are with you. So this week, we go inside the rooms where the deals get made, to the actual moment that the checks change hands — and we ask the people writing and receiving the checks what, exactly, is the money buying?
-
Download Control-click (or right-click) Tap and hold to download
- Share a clip
- Transcript
The Hamster Wheel
Planet Money's Alex Blumberg and NPR Congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook take a tour through the world of money and politics, discovering just how much time members of Congress spend raising money and which committee assignments yield the biggest campaign donations. They also try to figure out what all this money is actually buying.
For an interactive map of Washington DC fundraiser locations, charts of the best and worst types of fundraisers, and other online extras, visit Planet Money's website. (27 minutes).
PAC Men
Everything about political fundraising is changing right now, because of the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. Since then, "Super PACs" have been able to funnel huge amounts of anonymous money into races. Producer Ben Calhoun shares the example of Ami Bera, whose run for Congress was dramatically affected by money from a Super PAC. (15 minutes).
The O.G.s
Ten years ago, Congress voted to reform campaign finance, after Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold took up the cause. Here they reunite on the radio, to reminisce and lament how that reform failed. Senator Feingold is author of the book While America Sleeps. (7 1/2 minutes).
Related
Act Two: Forgive us our Press Passes
Act Three: Where I Came From
Act Three: Bully's Pulpit
Staff Recommendations
In Dog We Trust (2000)
Exactly how much are the animals that live in our home caught up in everyday family dynamics?
129 Cars
One car dealership tries to make its monthly quota: 129 cars. It is way more chaotic than we expected.