The Transatlantic Tandem Talks are hosted by the University of Cologne New York Office in cooperation with its partners and aim to facilitate a bilateral exchange of one American and one German perspective on an issue that is of interest to both nations and transatlantic relations. On September 12, 2024, AmerikaHaus NRW e.V. co-hosted the 10^th Transatlantic Tandem Talk about election campaign financing in the United States and Germany. Sandra Navidi, CEO of BeyondGlobal, and Dr. Maureen Edobor, Assistant Professor of Law at the Washington and Lee School of Law, discussed the role of money in the upcoming and past US elections and explained differences with the German system. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Yaena Kwon, Freelance Journalist, Harvard University.

The amount of money spent on election campaigns in the United States has increased dramatically over time, sparking debate on the influence of money in politics and its impact on the democratic process. While less in focus during this year’s election season, the topic remains critical as campaign financing has substantial potential to influence voter behavior and shape the political landscape. The experts, Sandra Navidi and Dr. Maureen Edobor, explained that while the German campaign financing system heavily emphasized public funding, limited corporate donations, and imposed caps on campaign spending, the American system relied on private funding, was less transparent, and allowed for unlimited expenditures. This disparity was amplified by the role of Political Action Committees (PACs) and Super PACs in the US, which could raise and spend vast amounts of money independently to support or oppose candidates, further concentrating the influence of wealthy donors and corporations on the electoral process. In such a system, the experts pointed out, the success of political candidates was directly tied to the amount of financing they receive, enabling companies and wealthy individuals to influence the agenda of the candidates they support. Navidi argued that the election law itself was problematic and that the US could become more democratic by mandating public financing and limiting private contributions. Dr. Edobor also highlighted the virtual absence of regulations for indirect donations to entities such as specific media outlets or activist groups, which further increased their influence on politics. The issue, she claimed, was not only the law but also societal norms. While both experts agreed that campaign financing in the US led to less democratic election outcomes, they believed it was highly unlikely that the system and underlying laws would change in the near future.

A video recording of the discussion is available here.

We thank Sandra Navidi, Dr. Maureen Edobor, and Dr. Yaena Kwon for the insightful discussion and extend our gratitude to our partners for their support.