Campaign finance is the most direct line between money and power in American politics. Here's how to read it.

Find campaign finance data at capitoltrace.com/money-map or on any member dossier's Money tab.

The basics

Every candidate running for federal office must file fundraising and spending reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). These reports are public. Capitol Trace pulls them and makes them searchable.

What the numbers mean

Total raised — All money received this election cycle (resets every 2 years for House members, 6 years for senators).

Individual contributions — Donations from real people, capped at $3,300 per candidate per election. These are the grassroots donors.

PAC contributions — Money from Political Action Committees. PACs pool donations from employees of a company or members of an organization and give as a single entity. Capped at $5,000 per candidate per election.

Outside spending — Money spent independently by Super PACs and dark money groups. Not coordinated with the campaign. No legal limit.

Funding tiers

Capitol Trace assigns every member a funding tier based on the percentage of their money that comes from PACs:

What to look for

• Committee alignment — A member on the Financial Services Committee whose top donors are banks is worth scrutiny. Cross-reference with their voting record on banking legislation.
• Timing of donations — Large donations shortly before key votes appear in the timeline view.
• Outside spending — Sometimes the real money supporting or attacking a candidate never touches their campaign account. Check the outside spending section.