{ "title": "Outside spending in federal elections by cycle", "definition": "Spending in federal elections by groups other than candidates and political parties: independent expenditures by PACs, super PACs, hybrid PACs and persons or groups that file FEC Form 5 (nonprofits, unions, companies, individuals), plus electioneering communications (Form 9), plus communication costs (Form 7). Party committees and candidates' own campaigns are left out. Same definition for every cycle. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. All figures come from the Federal Election Commission.", "unit": "U.S. dollars, nominal", "updated": "2026-11-01", "script": "scripts/data/outside_by_cycle.py", "series": [ { "cycle": 2008, "amount": 333772374, "partial": false, "through": "2008-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2008/committee_summary_2008.csv", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2008/committee_summary_2008.csv", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2008/tables/ec/EC1_2008_24m.xlsx" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2008&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 146655239, "electioneering_communications": 122695544, "communication_costs": 64421591 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and communication costs: FEC committee summary file (INDT_EXP and TTL_COMMUNICATION_COST, all filers except party and candidate committees). Electioneering: the FEC's 2008 Form 9 table with amendments replacing the statements they correct." }, { "cycle": 2010, "amount": 293677142, "partial": false, "through": "2010-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2012/tables/ie/IE1_2012_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2012/tables/ie/IE1_2012_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2012/tables/ec/EC1_2012_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2010/committee_summary_2010.csv" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2010&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 197494533, "electioneering_communications": 77774593, "communication_costs": 18408017 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 2012 tables (which also give the FEC's 2010 figures). Communication costs: FEC committee summary file (no FEC table before 2016).", "filer_types": { "pac": 55017388, "party": 191149935, "super_pac": 62549345, "hybrid": 0, "persons": 79927800, "total": 388644468 } }, { "cycle": 2012, "amount": 1039443524, "partial": false, "through": "2012-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2012/tables/ie/IE1_2012_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2012/tables/ie/IE1_2012_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2012/tables/ec/EC1_2012_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2012/committee_summary_2012.csv" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2012&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 998160990, "electioneering_communications": 15136483, "communication_costs": 26146051 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 2012 tables (which also give the FEC's 2010 figures). Communication costs: FEC committee summary file (no FEC table before 2016).", "filer_types": { "pac": 78044150, "party": 252361301, "super_pac": 606808037, "hybrid": 12915159, "persons": 300393644, "total": 1250522291 } }, { "cycle": 2014, "amount": 576865556, "partial": false, "through": "2014-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2014/tables/ie/IE1_2014_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2014/tables/ie/IE1_2014_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2014/tables/ec/EC1_2014_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2014/committee_summary_2014.csv" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2014&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 558850984, "electioneering_communications": 7338285, "communication_costs": 10676287 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 24-month tables. Communication costs: FEC committee summary file (no FEC table before 2016).", "filer_types": { "pac": 48829678, "party": 228993297, "super_pac": 339402611, "hybrid": 2573469, "persons": 168045226, "total": 787844281 } }, { "cycle": 2016, "amount": 1416315317, "partial": false, "through": "2016-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2016/tables/ie/IE1_2016_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2016/tables/ie/IE1_2016_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2016/tables/ec/EC1_2016_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2016/tables/cc/CC1_2016_24m.xlsx" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2016&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 1376499282, "electioneering_communications": 11080943, "communication_costs": 28735093 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 24-month tables. Communication costs: FEC published table.", "filer_types": { "pac": 76176918, "party": 254502794, "super_pac": 1056466148, "hybrid": 46661972, "persons": 197194244, "total": 1631002075 }, "excluded": [ { "filer": "C30002695", "amount": 45000000, "reason": "Cape Fox Professional Service Agency LLC reported one $45M electioneering line. The FEC's own processed 2016 electioneering file does not carry it, and a filer of nearly the same name sent bogus independent expenditure notices that year (an individual's travel expenses)." } ] }, { "cycle": 2018, "amount": 1094460729, "partial": false, "through": "2018-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2018/tables/ie/IE1_2018_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2018/tables/ie/IE1_2018_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2018/tables/ec/EC1_2018_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2018/tables/cc/CC1_2018_24m.xlsx" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2018&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 1068372140, "electioneering_communications": 15283387, "communication_costs": 10805203 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 24-month tables. Communication costs: FEC published table.", "filer_types": { "pac": 59560333, "party": 232663042, "super_pac": 820466086, "hybrid": 72872817, "persons": 115472904, "total": 1301035182 } }, { "cycle": 2020, "amount": 2805720394, "partial": false, "through": "2020-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2020/tables/ie/IE1_2020_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2020/tables/ie/IE1_2020_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2020/tables/ec/EC1_2020_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2020/tables/cc/CC1_2020_24m.xlsx" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2020&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 2750244434, "electioneering_communications": 32817689, "communication_costs": 22658271 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 24-month tables. Communication costs: FEC published table.", "filer_types": { "pac": 86515604, "party": 393499533, "super_pac": 2019535095, "hybrid": 552212295, "persons": 91981441, "total": 3143743967 } }, { "cycle": 2022, "amount": 2002810123, "partial": false, "through": "2022-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2022/tables/ie/IE1_2022_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2022/tables/ie/IE1_2022_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2022/tables/ec/EC1_2022_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2022/tables/cc/CC1_2022_24m.xlsx" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2022&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 1983760923, "electioneering_communications": 4760213, "communication_costs": 14288987 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 24-month tables. Communication costs: FEC published table.", "filer_types": { "pac": 52166894, "party": 271201143, "super_pac": 1346155458, "hybrid": 555022945, "persons": 30415626, "total": 2254962066 } }, { "cycle": 2024, "amount": 4299958928, "partial": false, "through": "2024-12-31", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2024/tables/ie/IE1_2024_24m.xlsx", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2024/tables/ie/IE1_2024_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2024/tables/ec/EC1_2024_24m.xlsx", "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2024/tables/cc/CC1_2024_24m.xlsx" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/campaign-finance-data/communication-filings-data-summary-tables/?year=2024&segment=24", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 4249004634, "electioneering_communications": 11261183, "communication_costs": 39693112 }, "method": "Independent expenditures and electioneering: FEC published 24-month tables. Communication costs: FEC published table.", "filer_types": { "pac": 66858359, "party": 177543413, "super_pac": 2723830840, "hybrid": 1372324217, "persons": 85991217, "total": 4426548047 } }, { "cycle": 2026, "amount": 4064191311, "partial": true, "through": "2026-11-01", "source": "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2026/independent_expenditure_2026.csv", "sources": [ "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2026/independent_expenditure_2026.csv", "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2026/ElectioneeringComm_2026.csv", "https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2026/committee_summary_2026.csv" ], "source_page": "https://www.fec.gov/data/browse-data/?tab=bulk-data", "components": { "independent_expenditures": 4050986798, "electioneering_communications": 5327846, "communication_costs": 7876666 }, "method": "Independent expenditures: FEC 24 and 48 hour notices file, amended filings replacing the ones they amend, bogus filings dropped. Electioneering: FEC electioneering file. Communication costs: FEC committee summary file. Reported through the date in 'through'.", "filer_types": { "pac": 37243973, "super_pac": 2915843070, "hybrid": 1067794202, "persons": 30105553, "party": 435174, "candidate": 80 }, "dropped": { "filer not in the FEC committee master": { "lines": 34, "dollars": 38524001200 } } } ], "notes": [ "Each point is a two-year cycle (2008 means Jan 1, 2007 through Dec 31, 2008). 2026 is the cycle in progress, reported through Nov 1, 2026; outside spending peaks in the last weeks before Election Day, so it will keep rising.", "2010 to 2024 independent expenditures and electioneering come straight from the FEC's published 24-month tables. Communication costs come from the FEC's tables from 2016 on and from the FEC committee summary file before that (and for 2026); in 2016 to 2024 the two differ by at most 12.3% (0.8% in 2016, 0.3% in 2018, 0.4% in 2020, 12.3% in 2022, 0.1% in 2024).", "2008 has no FEC total for outside groups. Independent expenditures and communication costs come from the FEC's 2008 committee summary file. Electioneering comes from the FEC's 2008 list of every Form 9 as filed, with amendments replacing the statements they correct. The same rule run on the FEC's 2010 list lands 5.0% under the FEC's own 2010 total, so treat the 2008 electioneering figure as close, not exact.", "2026 uses the FEC's daily 24 and 48 hour notices file, because the newest FEC table stops at Jun 30, 2026. The same method matches the FEC's published tables within 5.4% in every completed cycle since 2010 (0.4% in 2022 and 0.0% in 2024). Notices can include estimated ad buys that groups correct later.", "Dropped as bogus: notice lines from filers the FEC never registered (claims of billions from made-up committees), single notice lines of $100 million or more, and one $45M electioneering line in the 2016 table (see 'excluded' on that point).", "Not counted: party committees and candidates; money never reported to the FEC, such as issue ads that avoid words like 'vote for' and run outside the electioneering windows (30 days before a primary, 60 before a general) or online or by mail; state and local races and ballot measures; and spending under the reporting thresholds. Spending by dark money groups is counted when they report it as an independent expenditure or electioneering communication, but their donors stay hidden.", "Money moving between groups (one super PAC funding another) is not double counted, because only spending is counted, not what groups raise.", "Site figures: 2012 ($1.04B here, site $1B+), 2022 ($2.00B, site $2.0B) and 2024 ($4.30B, site $4.2B+) match. 2008 does not: the site's $144M (OpenSecrets via the Center for American Progress) is close to 2008's non-party independent expenditures alone ($146.7M here), so it appears to leave out 2008's electioneering communications ($122.7M) and communication costs ($64.4M). Those were large in 2008 because, before Citizens United, companies and unions could not pay for ads that say 'vote for' from their own funds, so they used issue-style electioneering ads and member communications instead. We could not confirm OpenSecrets' breakdown because its site blocks our tools.", "Growth from 2008 to 2024: 13 times under this definition, or 29 times counting independent expenditures alone, which is the comparison behind the site's '28x'.", "By Oct 5, 2026 independent expenditures were $1.96B by filing date ($2.03B by ad date), in line with the 'nearly $2 billion' the site cites; by Nov 1, 2026 the total was $4.06B." ], "checks": { "2008": { "committees_ie_table_vs_summary": { "fec_ie_table_1_2008_nonparty_committees": 123480702, "committee_summary_pac_types": 124019988, "note": "Two FEC sources for 2008 PAC independent expenditures. The FEC's 2009 PAC press release, built from report summary lines, gives $135.2M.", "press_release": "https://www.fec.gov/updates/growth-in-pac-financial-activity-slows-2/" }, "form5_persons_committee_summary": 22630322, "electioneering_method_on_2010": { "ours": 73865309, "fec_published": 77774593, "difference_pct": -5.0, "note": "Our amendment rule run on the FEC's 2010 Form 9 table, against the FEC's own 2010 total. That total was published later and also has filings processed after the 2010 table was made." }, "electioneering_2008_lines": { "total": 122695544, "lines_listed": 621, "lines_kept": 502, "lines_without_amount": 18 } }, "2026": { "newest_fec_table": { "through": "2026-06-30", "table": "https://www.fec.gov/resources/campaign-finance-statistics/2026/tables/ie/IE1_2026_18m.xlsx", "ie_notices": 626623618, "ie_fec_table": 643162562, "ie_difference_pct": -2.6, "ec_file": 517690, "ec_fec_table": 517691 }, "through_oct_5": { "ie_by_receipt_date": 1961945535, "ie_by_ad_date": 2030926540, "compare": "OpenSecrets via Truthout, nearly $2 billion by Oct 5 (what the site cites now)", "compare_url": "https://truthout.org/articles/outside-groups-have-spent-nearly-2-billion-on-campaigns-this-election-cycle/" } }, "methods_vs_tables": { "2010": { "ie_table": 197494533, "ie_notices": 202388215, "notices_vs_table_pct": 2.5, "ie_committee_summary": 200716908, "summary_vs_table_pct": 1.6 }, "2012": { "ie_table": 998160990, "ie_notices": 1016252531, "notices_vs_table_pct": 1.8, "ie_committee_summary": 1006256430, "summary_vs_table_pct": 0.8 }, "2014": { "ie_table": 558850984, "ie_notices": 548806867, "notices_vs_table_pct": -1.8, "ie_committee_summary": 543861356, "summary_vs_table_pct": -2.7 }, "2016": { "ie_table": 1376499282, "ie_notices": 1422294883, "notices_vs_table_pct": 3.3, "ie_committee_summary": 1380025139, "summary_vs_table_pct": 0.3, "cc_table": 28735093, "cc_committee_summary": 28956460, "cc_summary_vs_table_pct": 0.8 }, "2018": { "ie_table": 1068372140, "ie_notices": 1067957548, "notices_vs_table_pct": 0.0, "ie_committee_summary": 1072757285, "summary_vs_table_pct": 0.4, "cc_table": 10805203, "cc_committee_summary": 10837861, "cc_summary_vs_table_pct": 0.3 }, "2020": { "ie_table": 2750244434, "ie_notices": 2899628032, "notices_vs_table_pct": 5.4, "ie_committee_summary": 2863711563, "summary_vs_table_pct": 4.1, "cc_table": 22658271, "cc_committee_summary": 22755968, "cc_summary_vs_table_pct": 0.4 }, "2022": { "ie_table": 1983760923, "ie_notices": 1976669650, "notices_vs_table_pct": -0.4, "ie_committee_summary": 1984410806, "summary_vs_table_pct": 0.0, "cc_table": 14288987, "cc_committee_summary": 12531390, "cc_summary_vs_table_pct": -12.3 }, "2024": { "ie_table": 4249004634, "ie_notices": 4247241720, "notices_vs_table_pct": 0.0, "ie_committee_summary": 4251072299, "summary_vs_table_pct": 0.0, "cc_table": 39693112, "cc_committee_summary": 39731410, "cc_summary_vs_table_pct": 0.1 } } } }