To the big spender go the big spoils
How often did the higher spending candidate win in the 2018 election?
How accurate was your prediction?
Describe one trend from the data?
What do you think explains that trend?
What is one consequence of this trend?
Make a claim about whether this is good or bad news.
One might argue or claim that the person with the most money should win the election, because people with better ideas raise more money. And if a candidate can’t raise much money they must not have very good or viable ideas. How would you respond to this claim?
Why do you think money matters more in the House than the Senate?
It was rare, but occasionally the bigger spender lost an election. How do you explain these rare and infrequent upsets?
What is most of the money in elections actually spent on?
Claim: almost 90% of the time, the higher spending candidate wins. This is exactly as the Framers would have wanted because they never once used the word “democracy” in the Constitution and support political equality. Respond to the claim, using your knowledge of the American political system.
Describe how the typical conservative and liberal would explain the trend from the data.
Do you think there are any other factors more likely to predict victory than the amount of money a candidate spent?
WHICH RAceS in the 2018 elections DO YOU THINK SPENT THE MOST MONEY?*
IMAGINE THAT A POLITICIAN TOOK A MORAL STAND AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT SPEND ANY MONEY ON AN ELECTION. EXPLAIN HOW YOU THINK THEY WOULD DO IN THat ELECTION.
