A sweeping new poll from Politico shows that 72 percent of Americans believe money has too much influence in U.S. politics, a sentiment that cuts across party lines. Only 5 percent of respondents disagreed, according to the survey released Saturday.
The bipartisan nature of the concern is striking: 80 percent of voters who backed former Vice President Kamala Harris and 77 percent of those who supported President Trump said there is too much money in politics. Just 5 percent of Harris voters and 4 percent of Trump voters disagreed.
Pollsters also found that a majority of Americans think money can shape election outcomes. Thirty-nine percent said money can outright buy results, while another 34 percent said it can influence elections but not guarantee victory. This skepticism aligns with a broader distrust of how campaigns are funded.
Sixty-one percent of U.S. adults say billionaires wield too much influence in politics, with only 15 percent saying billionaires have the right amount of sway. Nearly half of those polled—46 percent—believe political parties also have excessive influence, while 25 percent said parties have the appropriate level of power.
On the issue of campaign spending by special interest groups, 53 percent of Americans overall view it as a form of corruption that should be restricted. This view is shared by 61 percent of Harris voters and 56 percent of Trump voters, underscoring rare common ground in a polarized electorate.
“Americans know that money matters, expressing a broad skepticism about how elections are decided,” Politico wrote. “A plurality believes the candidate with the most money — not the most popular positions — wins.”
The poll comes as election spending continues to soar. According to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan watchdog, the 2024 election cycle saw spending top $14.8 billion, making it the second-highest on record after the $18 billion spent in 2020. Both were presidential election years, highlighting the escalating cost of campaigns.
This data reinforces a growing concern that money dominates political outcomes, a theme that has fueled debates over campaign finance reform. For instance, the influence of wealth has been spotlighted in recent controversies, such as the Mamdani's War on Wealth Threatens $6B NYC Expansion as Citadel Rethinks Plans, where financial power clashes with policy. Similarly, the GOP Touts $78M War Chest to Defend House Majority as Midterms Loom shows how money is central to political strategy.
The Politico survey was conducted April 11-14 among 2,035 respondents, with a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. The findings reflect a public that is deeply skeptical of the role money plays in democracy, with majorities across the political spectrum calling for limits on special interest influence.
