PlainInfluence guides
Guides to Political Money
In-depth explainers on campaign finance, lobbying, federal contracts, and how to use PlainInfluence to follow the money in U.S. politics.
Follow the Money: How to Look Up Political Donations
Learn how FEC data works, what PAC contributions mean, and how to use PlainInfluence to look up any politician's donors.
Top Government Contractors: Who Gets the Most Federal Money
Explore the largest federal contractors, how contract awards work, and where billions in taxpayer money goes each year.
Lobbying in America: Who Spends Billions and Why
How lobbying works, what Senate LDA disclosures reveal, and which industries spend the most to influence policy.
Campaign Finance 101: PACs, Super PACs, and Dark Money Explained
Understand the different types of political committees, contribution limits, and how money flows from donors to candidates.
Federal Contracts Explained: How the Government Awards Billions
Learn how federal contracting works, contract types, the small business set-aside, and the connection between contracts and political influence.
The Revolving Door: When Government Officials Become Lobbyists
How the revolving door between government and the private sector works, cooling-off periods, and shadow lobbying.
How to Read FEC Data: A Practical Guide to Campaign Finance Filings
Interpret FEC campaign finance data, committee types, filing schedules, and how PlainInfluence transforms raw filings into usable intelligence.
How is the data in these guides sourced?
Our guides are based on publicly available data from authoritative government sources. All statistics, ratings, and figures cited in these guides are drawn directly from official datasets and publications, with sources clearly referenced throughout.
We aim to present complex government data in plain language that is accessible to general audiences. When methodologies differ between data sources or change over time, we note these variations inline. Our editorial process includes regular reviews to ensure accuracy and timeliness of the information presented.
Download the federal political-money statistics cited on this page: federal-political-money-statistics.csv (CC0).
Guide pages on PlainInfluence combine live FEC, Senate LDA, and USAspending totals with editorial explainers of campaign-finance and contracting rules. Registry figures come from the published extracts; contribution limits and practice steps are summaries of FEC and agency public guidance, not invented statistics. Disclosed contributions, lobbying, and contracts are lawful, regulated activities, appearing on this page is not an allegation of wrongdoing. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our disclaimer, or report a data error. Data current as of 2023-2024 disclosures; FEC cycle rules 2025-2026.