{
  "version": 1,
  "checked_on": "2026-10-02",
  "period": {
    "start": "2023-01-01",
    "end": "2024-12-31",
    "cycle": "2024"
  },
  "currency": "USD",
  "price_basis": "Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation",
  "scope": "Federal reporting categories only. Not a deduplicated total cost of all US elections.",
  "source_precision_dollars": 100000,
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "fec",
      "publisher": "Federal Election Commission",
      "published": "2025-04-23",
      "url": "https://www.fec.gov/updates/statistical-summary-of-24-month-campaign-activity-of-the-2023-2024-election-cycle/"
    },
    {
      "id": "fec_reporting",
      "publisher": "Federal Election Commission",
      "url": "https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/filing-reports/in-kind-contributions/"
    },
    {
      "id": "census",
      "publisher": "US Census Bureau",
      "published": "2026-05-07",
      "updated": "2026-05-12",
      "url": "https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/school-system-finances.html"
    }
  ],
  "metrics": [
    {
      "id": "candidates",
      "label": "Presidential and congressional candidate disbursements",
      "dollars": "5500900000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "Derived: $1,796.7 million + $3,704.2 million. Gross reported disbursements, not unique final spending; can include transfers and noncash in-kind activity.",
      "components": [
        "presidential",
        "congressional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "presidential",
      "label": "Presidential candidate disbursements",
      "dollars": "1796700000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $1,796.7 million."
    },
    {
      "id": "congressional",
      "label": "Congressional candidate disbursements",
      "dollars": "3704200000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $3,704.2 million."
    },
    {
      "id": "party",
      "label": "Party committee disbursements",
      "dollars": "2646300000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $2,646.3 million. Keep separate from candidate and PAC totals."
    },
    {
      "id": "pac",
      "label": "PAC disbursements",
      "dollars": "15520300000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $15,520.3 million. Includes outflows that can overlap other categories."
    },
    {
      "id": "independent",
      "label": "Reported independent expenditures",
      "dollars": "4426500000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $4,426.5 million. May already be included in committee disbursements."
    },
    {
      "id": "electioneering",
      "label": "Reported electioneering communications",
      "dollars": "11300000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $11.3 million. A separate communications filing measure, not an additional national total."
    },
    {
      "id": "communication_costs",
      "label": "Reported communication costs",
      "dollars": "39700000",
      "source": "fec",
      "basis": "FEC summary table: $39.7 million. Keep separate from other communications and committee measures."
    }
  ],
  "benchmark": {
    "id": "school",
    "label": "Public-school pupil-year equivalent",
    "unit_dollars": "17619",
    "source": "census",
    "period": "Fiscal year 2024",
    "geography": "United States average",
    "basis": "Current spending per public-school pupil. Not a marginal cost, a funding gap, or a promise of added school places."
  },
  "calculation": "selected reported dollars * hypothetical share / 100 / unit dollars",
  "rules": [
    "Do not sum these metrics.",
    "Do not add donations to spending.",
    "No state or local election activity is added.",
    "Hypothetical comparisons do not establish that campaign funds are available for public spending."
  ]
}