“political technology”—polling, television advertising, and computer-driven mail.
And this political technology is expensive. During the 2009-2010 election cycle, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spent $22,635,642 to get re-elected, and future Speaker of the House John Boehner spent $7,451,751. The day after being elected, Senator Reid and Congressman Boehner must begin raising money for the next election. Senator Reid must raise $3,775,000 each year while he is in office, and Congressman Boehner $3,725,000, that is about $10,275 every day, including weekends and holidays.
Most members of Congress cannot raise those sums of money in their local districts through twenty or fifty dollar contributions from constituents. They must go to moneyed interests wherever they are. To keep needed campaign funds flowing, senators and congressmen pass spending programs, subsidies, tax breaks, and economic regulations that serve special-interest groups at the expense of the nation as a whole.”
http://www.theimaginativeconservative.org/2018/01/united-states-banana-republic-george-stanciu.html