Poll finds broad concern that money in politics is a threat to elections
Washington, D.C., September 3 — With the most recent election cycle projected to have cost about $20 billion, a new poll from American Promise shows Americans are ready to take back their elections from elite donors. Across party lines, an overwhelming majority support a constitutional amendment to restore lawmakers’ ability to decide whether and how to set limits on political spending, and agree that money in politics is a serious threat to elections.
The poll comes on the heels of recent federal court rulings that have underscored how recent Supreme Court decisions have stripped voters’ and lawmakers’ ability to regulate money in politics. Just this July, federal judges struck down two Maine voter-approved campaign finance reform laws: one limiting foreign money in state elections and another that set a cap on Super PAC donations.
“Americans across the partisan divide are united by concern over out-of-state and foreign spending in our elections — but our hands are tied. Unelected judges are making policy decisions about money in politics and routinely overturning voter-backed efforts to set reasonable rules. It’s time to change that,” said Jeff Clements, CEO of American Promise. “Politicians looking for an issue that unites their constituents need look no further than supporting a constitutional amendment that restores the power of lawmakers to decide when, and if, to set the rules about money in politics.”
Survey Highlights:
Support for a constitutional amendment was strong across party lines, with similar levels of agreement among respondents identifying as Republican, Democrat, and Independent.
- 71% support a proposed constitutional amendment* to allow Congress and the states to reasonably regulate and limit money in campaigns and elections
- 82% say money in politics is a threat to U.S. elections
- 79% oppose unlimited political spending from individuals and entities
- Strong cross-partisan agreement:
- 72% of Republicans, 76% of Democrats, 74% of Independents support the proposed amendment
- 80% of Republicans, 91% of Democrats, 81% of Independents see money in politics as a threat to our elections
- 78% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats, 77% of Independents disagree that individuals and entities should be able to spend unlimited amounts to influence elections
*Overall support (71%) includes all respondents, including those who did not identify as Republican, Democrat, or Independent.
American Promise is leading the national movement for the For Our Freedom Amendment, which would restore the ability of Congress and the states to decide whether and how to address political spending. Before a series of Supreme Court rulings, starting with Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and culminating in Citizens United v. FEC (2010), anti-corruption rules, including limits on election spending, were common and broadly supported.
Passing a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states. To date, 23 states — as varied as Massachusetts and Montana, Alaska and Nevada, West Virginia and California — have passed resolutions in favor of such an amendment.
American Promise partnered with Ipsos, a non-partisan market research and polling company, to conduct the nationally representative survey of 1,023 U.S. residents ages 18+ between July 25-27, 2025, using the probability-based KnowledgePanel. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points. Results are weighted on gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, Census region, metropolitan status, household income, and party ID. More about the poll and methodology here.
About American Promise:
American Promise is a cross-partisan organization committed to a singular vision: ratifying the For Our Freedom Amendment to restore the ability of states and Congress to set reasonable limits on money in politics, ensuring every American voice counts. Each generation has a responsibility to ensure that the promise of self-government is open to all Americans. However, the overwhelming influence of excessive money in politics has distorted the concept of free speech and representation in America. This isn’t just a political challenge, but a constitutional one. American Promise — with the help of millions of Americans across the country — is changing that.
