It wasn’t until this year that I really started thinking about the presidential elections in America. Prior to now, I would not pay attention to campaign ads, debates, buttons, shirts, stickers, or any other form of political advertisement. Maybe I ignored these things due to my age, or in the back of my mind I knew I couldn’t vote yet, so what difference would my opinion make? Now, however, I have been very involved in keeping up with the general ideologies of the 2016 candidates. Besides major policies and hot topic issues, the funding going toward each candidate’s campaign caught my eye.

When I first saw the numbers, I was shocked. For example, when I found out Hillary Clinton has over 60 million dollars funding her campaign, I couldn’t believe the amount of money simply being wasted on an election, when it could instead be used by the candidates to fund their policies and programs. My jaw almost hit the floor when I saw the Republican totals - Jeb Bush has over 100 million dollars funding his campaign, and Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio both have over 40 million! I had absolutely no idea where all this money was coming from, until I heard of something called a super PAC, which is a type of Political Action Committee.

A PAC is an organization that pools money for political candidates. According to opensecrets.org, these super PACs, "may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations, and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates." So, what this means is that corporations with large amounts of money to spend can donate substantial sums to presidential candidates. When I first learned that presidential candidates raised money for their campaigns, I assumed it was a fair-and-square classic fundraiser, maybe even a bake sale or two along the campaign circuit. Sadly, this is not the case. These companies can directly influence which candidates are receiving the most money, and therefore who's able to spend the most on advertisements. This can greatly influence which candidates are getting press coverage and are having their ideas spread throughout the country. Below are the fundraising totals for the Democratic and Republican candidates from usnews.com as of June 30, 2015. As you can see, the super PACs contribute greatly to many candidates.

So, what did I do when I learned all this information? I did something very simple; I bought a t-shirt. That’s right, other candidates are being gifted millions in advertisements and I contributed $15 to a candidate in exchange for a t-shirt. The rising Independent candidate, Bernie Sanders, who is running as a Democrat, is selling his merchandise on his website similar to most other candidates. However, Sanders is being funded by those t-shirts and not by super PACs or donations from large corporations.

Sanders is only raising money for his campaign through the donations of his supporters and their purchases in his store. In total, Sanders has a little more than 15 million dollars funding his campaign, which is less than what Clinton received solely from super PACs. To some, it may seem foolish to not accept the help of super PACs who could further Sanders’s campaign, but for him it is more of an ethical matter. What it boils down to is the idea that a presidential campaign should be funded by the people who want to see it happen, by the everyday citizens who can spare $15 for a t-shirt, not a couple thousand or million dollars. By being funded by super PACs, candidates are not necessarily what the majority of citizens want, but instead what the few groups with money want, and that is the issue Sanders is attempting to combat.

While I also agree with the majority of Sanders’s positions and ideas, the way he raises money for his campaign makes me back him even more. In researching the 2016 campaign, Sanders quickly caught my eye, and is beginning to catch the eyes of many other United States citizens. While he may not have the same amount of money going toward advertisements, he has the support of many Americans, and not just major corporations. I hope that this support is enough for Sanders to compete in the election and I plan on supporting him in what way I can, like buying a t-shirt.