Who contributes to presidential campaigns?
Why? Jim Smith is a floor manager for a department store in Omaha, Nebraska. His wife Frances works in a beauty parlor. The Smiths voted for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election and contributed $100 to his campaign. They support his tax cuts and No Child Left Behind educational program. They admire the president’s leadership in protecting the country from terrorists and believe him to be a man of integrity. So this year they will double their contribution to $200. Who contributes to a presidential campaign? The simple answer is tens of thousands of Americans. Many give relatively small amounts, even less than the Smiths. Why do they contribute to a candidate? The most probable answer is that, like the fictional Smiths, they agree with many of his or her ideas and think this person would make a good president. The case of Frederick Webber But there is also a smaller number of very big contributors. One such contributor (and this one is not fictional) is Frederick Webber, the
