On High Office and Big Money

When the American citizen thinks about the Commander-in-Chief, the first images to come to mind likely include the Oval Office, annual addresses to Congress, and a meticulous search for ways to fulfill campaign promises. Less common are images of presidents making pledges to small crowds of wealthy plutocrats in illustrious private residences. Yet, for the President of the United States, the task of fundraising is one that is perhaps just as time-consuming as that of governing.

Fundraiser in Chief: Presidents and the Politics of Campaign Cash highlights the enormous influence of money on America’s political apparatus and more specifically on the office of President of the United States. Brendan Doherty, a member of Dartmouth’s Class of 1996, describes how changes in campaign finance law, demographics, and behavioral norms have made the President of the United States vital at raising money for whichever party he hails from. He says, plainly: “Getting the President of the United States gives you more money than any political fundraiser.” In other words, the occupancy of the presidency by a member of a particular party offers that party a significant advantage over its rival in cash on hand.

Doherty describes the state of rules and regulations regarding money in politics as “a disjointed campaign finance system that is far removed from the aims of campaign finance reform efforts.” He offers a plethora of evidence (including several appendices) to demonstrate that, despite enormous efforts to implement substantive campaign finance reform, such attempts have paved the way for loopholes to ensure that the cash flow continues. Doherty further describes the role of money in the political system as something unlikely to subside in the modern era given the vitality of cash in a campaign.

Doherty’s book is divided into several chapters, each of which examines particular reasons as to why fundraising has grown to occupy such a large portion of the president’s time and resources. He also takes the time to explore how money has changed the way in which presidents campaign both for themselves and for their political allies. 

Perhaps Doherty’s most captivating discussion is his lengthy emphasis on the dual role of the president: as both a government executive and a fundraiser. He effectively explores this duality by analyzing the final year of George W. Bush’s administration. Although the president suffered enormously in public support, his ability to raise money remained. Despite Bush’s lack of political power and popularity in his final year, the financial benefits of Bush’s presence in the Oval Office served the Republican Party well—he remained a reliable and effective fundraiser. This discussion drives home the point that the American public is only partially informed about the activity of the president. While the president’s ability to advance his agenda receives more than its fair share of press coverage, the innumerable days in office spent raising money for the party are largely swept under the rug. For something that has such a large impact on the political fabric of the United States, and something of which most Americans would almost certainly be critical, this veiled role of the president indeed does not receive nearly the attention that it merits.

Unlike most academic books, which serve to appeal only to a very niche readership, Fundraiser in Chief is more than accessible to any and all readers. Doherty takes ample time to explain to readers the implications of even the most high-profile developments in campaign finance (i.e., Citizens United v. FEC). It is all too easy for a topic such as money in politics to be told in a dense, convoluted way that leaves the ordinary Joe unable or unwilling to dissect the topic. Doherty avoids such a misstep by telling his story in a digestible manner. 

If you are searching for highly critical and politically charged analysis of money in politics, look elsewhere. Doherty’s book is highly factual in nature: he leaves aside his own opinions relative to the enormous influence of the dollar on the political process. It is perhaps this very neutrality that makes Fundraiser in Chief that much more digestible to the average reader. Doherty succeeds in informing his audience of a highly contentious aspect of American politics and avoids proselytizing.

Fundraiser in Chief provides a much-welcomed fresh (and largely unknown) assessment of how the American political system functions. For the knowledge-seeking citizen, Fundraiser in Chief comes highly recommended.