FEC Interactive Campaign Contribution Maps
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James Joyner | Wednesday, June 13, 2007 |
The Federal Election Commission has rolled out interactive maps breaking down campaign contributions down to the ZIP code. Hotline’s Patrick Ottenhoff has details:
Sick of filing through those endless PDF reports? The FEC introduced a new feature on its Web site today — an interactive map that shows how much each candidate has raised right down to the zip code. Right now the site only offers WH candidates, but FEC spokesman Bob Biersack said it will eventually include House and SEN candidates, probably after the 7/15 filing deadline for the 2ndQ.
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Being the FEC, the map is also not without bureaucratic guidelines. It only includes itemized individual contributions; PAC money or donations under $200 are not reported; and primary and general funds are not separated. Also, money transferred from cong. to WH accounts will be attributed to the state where the cong. cmte was registered — So, all the “SEN” money that HRC raised from 22101 or 90210 is recorded as contributions out of NY State.
It’s somewhat amusing that this is a stripped-down version of software the New York Times has been using for some time but, still, this goes a long way to providing transparency for those interested in digging through the data. Certainly, sunshine will be more effective than “finance reform” laws that attempt to keep money out of the process.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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Certainly, sunshine will be more effective than “finance reform” laws that attempt to keep money out of the process.
I agree, but I'd feel more comfortable if McCain-Feingold were repealed. It hasn't done anything to affect me, but who knows what will happen when a more activist FEC plays with the law.
The New York Times software is itself a derivative of the original tool: fundrace.org
Honestly I don't care how much a company or an individual gives to a single candidate or party-they can donate every last dime as far as I am concerned, I think it is more important to know who is giving what to whom than how much they are giving.
Ditch the restrictions on amounts, but require that ever penny, every donor, and every recipient be made public record and published online within X number of days of the gift.
How does this compare to population sizes of those states?
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