All societies engage in politics, and all political systems require resources. An adequate supply of people and equipment must be mobilized so that collective decisionmaking – the substance of the political process – can be undertaken. Politics is costly. There is no free lunch.

In a political system like ours, in which officeholders are elected, each candidate for office needs financing in order to mount a campaign. At the most elementary level, campaign flyers or posters providing information about a candidate require paper that has to be bought and printing services that have to be paid for. The finished printed materials must be distributed, involving transportation costs. Today, television campaign commercials must be produced and air time purchased – both fabulously expensive propositions. Even a minimal television advertising campaign costs thousands of dollars. Without the money to do these and myriad other things, would-be officeholders simply have no chance of political success. Unable to raise adequate funds, a candidate will not be able to communicate effectively with the electorate, dooming his or her chances of victory. Very rarely do citizens vote for candidates about whom they have little or no information and with whom they are unfamiliar.

In the absence of public funds, there is only one recourse for electoral candidates. Unless they are enormously wealthy and can pay for their races themselves, all office seekers must solicit donations from individuals and PACs.