Is Money Undermining American Elections?

The 2026 midterm contests are set to become the costliest in U.S. history, with political advertising alone projected to reach a record $11.6 billion. Super PACs that operate solely on independent expenditures, dark‑money groups and billionaire contributors now play a decisive role in determining who runs and who wins, while voters from both parties increasingly feel that money holds excessive sway. In a new video lasting 47 minutes and 16 seconds, journalist Josh Rushing sits down with two prominent scholars—Harvard Law School’s Lawrence Lessig and Capital University law professor Bradley Smith—to explore who is financing the campaigns, what they expect in return, and whether the current system can be reformed. The discussion was published on October 20, 2026.