Americans believe money dominates the political system more than it should—a concern shared across party lines as midterm election spending is expected to break records again.
The latest findings from The POLITICO Poll reveal a striking consensus: 72 percent of Americans think there is excessive money in politics, while only 5 percent disagree. Across political affiliations, majorities believe billionaires have too much sway over U.S. politics, and that special interest spending amounts to corruption that should be curtailed, rather than safeguarded as free speech. Nearly half of those surveyed feel voters have insufficient power.
The influx of outside money shows no sign of abating. New entities associated with artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and other emerging sectors are swiftly entering the political scene, investing millions in competitive primaries to influence who gets elected to Washington. Each of the past three midterm elections has set new spending records, and ad tracking firm AdImpact forecasts that advertising spending will again hit unprecedented levels, reaching $10.8 billion.
“This type of astronomical spending undermines people’s trust in our governmental system, and I believe people are eager for reforms to control this excessive spending,” stated Michael Beckel, the Money in Politics Reform Director at Issue One, a nonprofit advocacy organization.
The poll—carried out in collaboration with Public First—indicates that many Americans perceive this influence as detrimental to voters, sparking concerns not just about fairness, but the vitality of the democratic system itself.
Despite this, some partisan differences exist, with Democrats generally holding the strongest opposition to money in politics. Non-voters tended to answer “I don’t know” to these questions, reducing the overall percentage of Americans critical of money in politics compared to Harris and Trump voters.
Here’s a closer examination of where Americans stand, beginning with a shared skepticism:
Americans overwhelmingly perceive an excess of money in politics.
Transcending party boundaries, nearly 3 out of 4 Americans concurred with the statement that “There is too much money in American politics,” while most others remained neutral.
They also recognize the power of money. A majority believe it can shape election outcomes—with 39 percent saying money can outright buy results and another 34 percent saying it can influence but not purchase them. This perception aligns with current campaign dynamics: affluent donors and external groups are channeling millions into competitive races, frequently through vehicles that can accept unlimited contributions and amplify a limited group of voices.
Differing partisan views exist regarding the extent of money’s impact. Trump voters generally believe that wealthy individuals or organizations can influence elections without directly buying the results, whereas Harris voters are more inclined to think that election outcomes can be bought.
Americans concur: Voters lack sufficient power.
When questioned about the influence of different groups over politics, about half of respondents said voters have too little power—significantly more than those who said voters have either too much influence or the appropriate amount.
Meanwhile, 60 percent say billionaires have excessive influence over U.S. politics—a sentiment more prevalent among Democrats, with 75 percent of Harris voters agreeing, compared with 55 percent of Trump voters. A large portion of respondents also view political parties, special interest groups, and foreign governments as overly influential, greatly outnumbering those who believe these groups have too little influence.
Deep concerns about special interest money persist. Two-thirds of Americans believe there is too much of it in U.S. politics, and a majority (53 percent) see this money as corrupt and in need of stricter regulation, rather than adhering to the conservative principle that it is protected as free speech. This perspective includes 56 percent of Trump voters.
Money plays a substantial role in shaping elections, influencing candidates’ ability to advertise, hold campaign events, and hire staff. It can even affect who decides to run.
Americans are aware of the importance of money, expressing broad skepticism about how elections are decided. A plurality believes the candidate with the most money—not the most popular policies—wins.
This view is particularly common among Democrats: Over half of 2024 Harris voters say money is the deciding factor, compared to slightly more than a third of Trump voters.
Erin Doherty contributed reporting.
