The Dollars and Senselessness of Political Campaigning [Interactive Infographic]

The Dollars & Senselessness of Political Campaigning

When people say that politics has its price, one has to wonder if that means the outrageous costs associated with political campaigns. After all, the U.S. will spend $5.8 billion dollars on campaigning in 2012. Imagine all of the worthwhile ways that money could be better spent, from helping small businesses grow and better educating our kids, to ensuring medical care and easing housing costs for those in need. It’s shocking to realize that billions are spent on the campaign trail, yet millions of Americans are struggling to survive. To demonstrate how those dollars could help our needy nation, MDG created this interactive infographic.

More than just a picture of the high cost of campaigning, the infographic is completely interactive and lets you explore a wealth of facts and figures. The interactivity also lets you voice your opinion about such spending and be heard by the people in power. You can choose how you think those dollars should be distributed and then send your suggestions to your legislators, as well as share your recommended budget through social media posts to Facebook and Twitter. While politics is important and elections are essential, the excessive amounts spent on campaigning clearly come at a cost to our country.

The infographic begins by showing how small businesses could benefit from a $5.8 billion windfall. For example, existing businesses would be able to hire 139,178 employees, while 193,333 new companies could be funded for launch. With the nation’s struggling economy continuing to put a major strain on small business growth, those billions could literally keep our country in business.

In regard to education, this campaign capital could be used to help our nation’s kids learn, from the elementary to the university levels. It could pay for the hiring of 137,727 public school teachers, as well as cover one year of in-state tuition and fees for 869,695 students at a public four-year university. That’s definitely something to think about.

With the costs of healthcare rising higher and higher, the money spent on the campaign trail could certainly pay off for millions of Americans. It may be surprising that the total amount could help cover the emergency room co-pays of more than 76 million people. And it’s shocking that those billions could help 678,838 cancer patients cover a year’s worth of medical care, from doctor’s appointments to medicine and lost wages.

Then there’s the issue of family living, with so many families struggling to make ends meet today. When you realize that those billions could cover one year of full-time childcare for 1,137,924 families or pay for a year of electric bills for more than 4 million households, it makes you wonder if political campaigning should be such a priority.

Speaking of priorities, housing is one of the highest and millions of Americans can barely keep a roof over their heads today. Now, take a moment to realize that this campaign capital could help 1.7 million homeowners pay their annual mortgage interest and charges or, alternately, allow more than 350,000 families to cover their housing costs for a year. Figures like that really hit home.

If you think the country is more deserving than campaigns, make your voice heard! Use our interactive infographic to show how you think that money should be spent, and then send your insight to your legislators and share it with the world through your social media networks. MDG’s infographic lets you voice your opinion with the touch of a button, so go tell the people who matter, what matters to you.

For a look at how campaign funds could keep our country running rather than run a campaign, check out MDG’s interactive infographic.

To learn how to use the power of interactive infographics in your digital marketing, contact MDG today at 561-338-7797 or visit www.mdgsolutions.com.

MDG, a full-service Florida advertising firm with offices in Boca Raton and New York, NY, specializes in developing targeted Internet marketing solutions, exceptional creative executions and solid branding and media buying strategies that give clients a competitive advantage. Our core capabilities include branding, logo design, creative, digital marketing, print advertising, media planning and buying, TV and radio, infographics, Web design and development, email marketing, social media marketing, and SEO.