Why do reformers often use the term "big money" when analyzing campaign contributions? An August 10, 2006 Institute on Money in State Politics report affirms this fixation on big money.

Among its findings (for state races only):
"Overall, candidates reported 5 percent of their receipts as unitemized [small] contributions, compared with 3.4 percent for state political parties and less than 1 percent for committees active on ballot measures."

The report concerns campaigns on the state level, not federal. However, the larger financial costs of larger district campaigns on the federal level would presume that big money contributions are all the more important.

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