Campaign-Finance Breakdown

John Lott and Bradley Smith in the Wall Street Journal on taxpayer-financing of presidential elections:

Since 1976, taxpayers have shelled out about $3 billion in current dollars to pay for presidential campaigns. That includes campaigns by John Hagelin, Lyndon LaRouche, Lenora Fulani, Ralph Nader, Sen. Alan Cranston, Milton Schaap, Ruben Askew, and other also-rans. Funds have also paid for balloon drops at the party's conventions, negative TV ads, robocalls and more. ...

No one thinks that tax financing has given us better campaigns, or better candidates, or better presidents than we had before taxpayer financing.