In 2015, well over half of the money contributed to the presidential race came from roughly 350 families. The 100 biggest donors gave as much as 2 million small donors combined. Can we still say we live in a democracy if a few hundred rich families provide a disproportionate shares of campaign funds? Congress and the courts are divided on that question, with conservatives saying yes and liberals saying no. The debate is about the most fundamental of political questions: how we define democracy and how we want our democracy to work. The debate may ultimately be about political theory, but in practice it is conducted in terms of laws, regulations, and court decisions about super PACs, 527s, 501(c)(4)s, dark money, small donors, public funding, corporate contributions, the Federal Election Commission, and the IRS. Campaign Finance: What Everyone Needs to Know® explains those laws, regulations, and Supreme Court decisions, from Buckley v. Valeo to Citizens United , asking how they fit into the larger discussion about how we want our democracy to work. "Robert Mutch's writing is the gold standard of campaign finance. Clear and incisive, this is a must read for those who want to understand the U.S. system." --Trevor Potter, former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Election Commission "Robert Mutch is one of our leading historians of campaign finance, displaying great skill in explaining the development of our complex campaign finance laws and regulations. His new work, providing further guidance through its complexity and controversies, is most welcome and will be an invaluable resource in the field." --Bob Bauer, Co-Chair of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and Professor of Practice, New York University Law School "How does campaign finance influence the way American democracy does and should work? Readers will come away with some important insights into that question after reading this important book."-- CHOICE Reviews "What everyone needs to know EXACTLY! 5 stars, absolutely a must-read. Highly recommended. Loved this book." -- Scila C, The NetGalley Campaign Finance: What Everyone Needs to Know® explains the laws, regulations, and court decisions surrounding campaign finance, and asks how they fit into the larger debate about how we want our democracy to work. Robert E. Mutch is the author of Campaigns, Congress, and Courts: The Making of Federal Campaign Finance Law and Buying the Vote: A History of Campaign Finance Reform.