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The Source: 2016 Election Will Set Spending Records

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The 2016 election cycle is on track to hit $10 billion in campaign spending, three times the amount of 16 years ago. The sky-high costs of these races both presidential and down to a congressional seat means candidates have to be on the phone hours a day asking for money.

"The day in, day out process of raising and getting all that money into their campaign coffers is distorting the system away from the common good and towards the very specific needs of the special interests," says Nick Penniman executive director of Issue One, a nonprofit trying to reduce the influence of money in politics.

What can be done about it?

Guests:

  • Nick Penniman, co-author of the book "Nation on the Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy and What we can do about it"
  • Wendell Potter,  co-author of the book "Nation on the Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy and What we can do about it"
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Paul Flahive can be reached at Paul@tpr.org