Between 2007 and 2012, 200 of America’s most politically active corporations spent a combined $5.8 billion on federal lobbying and campaign contributions. A year-long analysis by the Sunlight Foundation suggests, however, that what they gave pales compared to what those same corporations got: $4.4 trillion in federal business and support.

That figure, more than the $4.3 trillion the federal government paid the nation’s 50 million Social Security recipients over the same period, is the result of an unprecedented effort to quantify the less-examined side of the campaign finance equation: Do political donors get something in return for what they give?

Four years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court suggested the answer to that question was no. Corporate spending to influence federal elections would not “give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption,” the majority wrote in the landmark Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision.

Sunlight decided to test that premise by examining influence and its potential results on federal decision makers over six years, three before the 2010 Citizens United decision and three after.

Read more on the Sunlight Foundation Blog

The Data

Below is a table representing the summary totals involved. All data is downloadable, and is licensed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license. By downloading data, you are agreeing to the terms of the license. Federal campaign finance and lobbying data must be attributed to OpenSecrets.org.

For clarification on column names, please refer to the data dictionary below

Rank
Organization
Contrib-
utions
Lobbying
Total Influence
Hill Cover-
age
Federal Business
Federal Support
Effective Tax Rate
State Subsidies
1 Goldman Sachs $16.5 M $21.4 M $38.0 M 46% $21.7 B $207.7 B 23% View
2 Bank of America $12.6 M $32.6 M $45.2 M 44% $19.1 B $457.1 B View
3 AT&T Inc $12.4 M $99.4 M $111.9 M 88% $2.0 B $1.8 M 6%
4 Honeywell International $10.4 M $38.4 M $48.9 M 88% $10.0 B $47.3 M 8% View
5 JPMorgan Chase & Co $10.4 M $41.6 M $52.1 M 43% $18.0 B $485.6 B 25% View
6 Microsoft Corp $9.8 M $47.0 M $56.8 M 58% $715.5 M $7.0 M View
7 Comcast Corp $9.8 M $81.3 M $91.1 M 76% $27.3 M $0 24% View
8 Deloitte LLP $9.1 M $15.1 M $24.2 M 64% $6.4 B $44.8 M
9 Lockheed Martin $8.6 M $84.1 M $92.7 M 80% $204.2 B $127.8 M 18% View
10 Morgan Stanley $8.5 M $16.9 M $25.4 M 37% $11.6 B $115.9 B View
11 Boeing Co $8.2 M $95.5 M $103.7 M 72% $187.9 B $167.7 M 2% View
12 PricewaterhouseCoopers $7.8 M $15.9 M $23.7 M 52% $982.3 M $297.4 k View
13 General Electric $7.6 M $151.5 M $159.1 M 75% $23.5 B $19.6 B 9% View
14 Verizon Communications $7.2 M $97.5 M $104.7 M 72% $2.0 B $1.5 B 2% View
15 Citigroup Inc $7.0 M $37.1 M $44.2 M 35% $2.4 B $503.4 B View
16 United Parcel Service $6.9 M $31.4 M $38.4 M 87% $784.0 M $304.9 k 28% View
17 Northrop Grumman $6.8 M $93.3 M $100.2 M 55% $88.6 B $7.6 M 24% View
18 Blue Cross/Blue Shield $6.7 M $116.5 M $123.2 M 60% $1.2 B $608.7 k
19 Raytheon Co $6.6 M $41.7 M $48.4 M 58% $87.5 B $87.8 M 16% View
20 New York Life Insurance $6.4 M $32.3 M $38.7 M 46% $0 $0 View
21 Koch Industries $6.4 M $64.5 M $70.9 M 33% $51.3 M $0 View
22 American Crystal Sugar $6.3 M $6.8 M $13.1 M 50% $0 $153.7 M
23 Ernst & Young $6.2 M $13.6 M $19.9 M 41% $188.5 M $0 View
24 Blackstone Group $6.1 M $38.5 M $44.6 M 18% $275.9 M $0 View
25 Google Inc $5.9 M $41.5 M $47.4 M 24% $825.3 k $0 View
26 Chevron Corp $5.9 M $75.0 M $80.9 M 29% $2.0 B $28.7 M 22% View
27 Oracle Corp $5.7 M $34.1 M $39.9 M 21% $1.1 B $68.0 k 27% View
28 AFLAC Inc $5.7 M $24.7 M $30.4 M 61% $0 $0 View
29 Pfizer Inc $5.5 M $88.5 M $94.1 M 52% $4.1 B $0 View
30 Exxon Mobil $5.5 M $111.5 M $117.1 M 44% $6.4 B $0 14% View
31 Berkshire Hathaway $5.5 M $51.4 M $56.9 M 39% $37.5 M $28.5 M View
32 Wells Fargo $5.2 M $27.3 M $32.5 M 41% $22.2 B $189.0 B 12% View
33 Wal-Mart Stores $5.1 M $37.1 M $42.3 M 55% $682.5 k $0 29% View
34 General Dynamics $5.0 M $59.3 M $64.3 M 48% $61.6 B $88.7 M 29% View
35 McKesson Corp $5.0 M $10.7 M $15.7 M 33% $29.5 B $0 15% View
36 Home Depot $4.8 M $6.3 M $11.1 M 45% $12.3 M $0 33% View
37 Credit Suisse Group $4.7 M $12.2 M $16.9 M 25% $638.4 M $224.5 B View
38 Union Pacific Corp $4.6 M $40.5 M $45.1 M 48% $2.0 M $642.5 k 17% View
39 Amgen Inc $4.4 M $68.4 M $72.9 M 46% $2.4 M $0 View
40 CSX Corp $4.3 M $26.5 M $30.8 M 46% $15.0 M $23.5 M 13% View
41 FedEx Corp $4.1 M $81.4 M $85.5 M 47% $9.2 B $7.5 M 4% View
42 Altria Group $4.0 M $75.1 M $79.1 M 44% $962.6 k $0 37% View
43 News Corp $3.9 M $34.2 M $35.1 M 22% $6.8 M $0 View
44 United Technologies $3.9 M $66.5 M $70.4 M 44% $45.2 B $170.7 M 11% View
45 Exelon Corp $3.9 M $33.7 M $37.6 M 26% $96.4 M $195.1 M 12% View
46 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance $3.7 M $19.1 M $22.8 M 30% $41.2 k $291.5 M View
47 Marriott International $3.6 M $4.8 M $8.4 M 21% $42.7 M $0 View
48 Norfolk Southern $3.6 M $36.6 M $40.2 M 35% $772.8 k $4.1 M 18% View
49 Anheuser-Busch InBev $3.6 M $20.2 M $23.8 M 54% $322.5 k $0 View
50 Merck & Co $3.5 M $43.1 M $46.6 M 38% $8.4 B $0 17% View
51 USAA $3.5 M $34.9 M $38.4 M 30% $175.0 M $0 View
52 Cisco Systems $3.4 M $11.6 M $15.0 M 22% $19.8 M $0 View
53 KPMG LLP $3.4 M $10.4 M $13.7 M 28% $1.0 B $4.9 M View
54 UBS AG $3.3 M $3.7 M $7.0 M 28% $10.0 B $239.1 B View
55 UnitedHealth Group $3.2 M $23.5 M $26.8 M 26% $356.0 M $0 33% View
56 Abbott Laboratories $3.2 M $30.2 M $33.4 M 27% $452.1 M $0 View
57 BAE Systems $3.1 M $31.4 M $34.6 M 31% $44.2 B $65.6 M View
58 Ford Motor Co $3.0 M $40.9 M $43.9 M 38% $2.8 B $20.8 B View
59 Metlife Inc $3.0 M $32.9 M $35.9 M 33% $3.6 M $20.5 B View
60 Hewlett-Packard $3.0 M $35.1 M $38.2 M 33% $8.0 B $19.1 M View
61 SAIC Inc $2.9 M $17.2 M $20.1 M 26% $30.5 B $31.5 M 30% View
62 Johnson & Johnson $2.9 M $39.7 M $42.6 M 36% $149.3 M $0 View
63 Eli Lilly & Co $2.9 M $56.4 M $59.3 M 36% $366.5 k $16.6 M 15% View
64 Time Warner $2.8 M $25.8 M $28.6 M 31% $10.9 M $0 18% View
65 Accenture $2.8 M $19.4 M $22.2 M 31% $5.2 B $6.1 M View
66 Intel Corp $2.8 M $19.1 M $21.8 M 21% $268.9 k $50.1 M 27% View
67 CME Group $2.8 M $13.0 M $15.7 M 35% $0 $0 View
68 GlaxoSmithKline $2.7 M $40.4 M $43.2 M 39% $3.8 B $-173.0 View
69 AstraZeneca PLC $2.7 M $31.1 M $33.8 M 34% $1.8 M $0 View
70 McDonald's Corp $2.7 M $6.0 M $8.7 M 29% $0 $203.5 M 33% View
71 Occidental Petroleum $2.7 M $21.8 M $24.5 M 22% $0 $0 10% View
72 Dominion Resources $2.6 M $10.6 M $13.2 M 27% $318.4 M $4.5 M 18% View
73 Carlyle Group $2.6 M $6.0 M $8.6 M 11% $19.2 B $0 View
74 Bank of New York Mellon $2.6 M $6.7 M $9.3 M 21% $6.9 M $54.4 B View
75 Southern Co $2.5 M $83.7 M $86.2 M 27% $146.8 M $450.8 M 11% View
76 Chesapeake Energy $2.5 M $9.2 M $11.7 M 24% $0 $0 5% View
77 IntercontinentalExchange Inc $2.5 M $5.8 M $8.3 M 6% $0 $0 View
78 American Express $2.5 M $17.9 M $20.3 M 29% $2.8 M $9.0 B 17% View
79 Deutsche Bank AG $2.4 M $7.3 M $9.7 M 11% $11.8 B $316.4 B View
80 Valero Energy $2.4 M $4.0 M $6.4 M 21% $6.2 B $0 View
81 American Electric Power $2.4 M $48.4 M $50.8 M 27% $42.6 M $17.5 M 6% View
82 Caterpillar Inc $2.3 M $17.8 M $20.1 M 26% $3.2 B $759.4 M View
83 Bechtel Group $2.3 M $2.6 M $5.0 M 24% $30.2 B $2.4 M View
84 Walt Disney Co $2.3 M $27.5 M $29.9 M 23% $65.0 k $10.0 k 27% View
85 MGM Resorts International $2.3 M $2.6 M $4.9 M 8% $812.6 k $0
86 Humana Inc $2.2 M $10.9 M $13.1 M 27% $20.6 B $0 37% View
87 Capital One Financial $2.2 M $9.0 M $11.2 M 24% $0 $3.6 B 24% View
88 Aetna Inc $2.2 M $19.8 M $22.0 M 18% $725.2 k $0 29% View
89 DISH Network $2.2 M $5.6 M $7.8 M 12% $797.2 k $0 13% View
90 Cerberus Capital Management $2.2 M $14.3 M $16.5 M 13% $8.7 B $0 View
91 Duke Energy $2.1 M $33.9 M $36.0 M 24% $117.5 M $229.7 M 3% View
92 Deere & Co $2.1 M $10.4 M $12.5 M 24% $1.4 B $163.3 M 30% View
93 Travelers Companies $2.1 M $21.6 M $23.7 M 19% $19.2 M $0 16% View
94 FMR Corp $2.1 M $16.8 M $18.9 M 26% $5.4 B $0 View
95 FirstEnergy Corp $2.1 M $12.0 M $14.1 M 19% $180.2 M $58.4 M 3% View
96 Qualcomm Inc $2.1 M $38.6 M $40.6 M 15% $12.6 M $0 14% View
97 Federated Investors Inc $2.0 M $4.3 M $6.4 M 9% $10.2 B $0
98 International Paper $2.0 M $20.8 M $22.9 M 29% $124.5 M $-11.5 k 3% View
99 Textron Inc $2.0 M $31.3 M $33.4 M 24% $11.8 B $21.0 M View
100 Genworth Financial $2.0 M $24.3 M $26.3 M 25% $0 $202.4 M View
101 CenturyLink $2.0 M $17.0 M $19.0 M 32% $288.6 M $0 View
102 Dow Chemical $2.0 M $43.6 M $45.5 M 25% $46.4 M $24.3 M View
103 Weyerhaeuser Co $2.0 M $16.7 M $18.7 M 27% $3.8 M $362.4 k View
104 DaVita Inc $2.0 M $21.2 M $23.1 M 22% $14.2 M $0 24% View
105 Cablevision Systems $1.9 M $2.5 M $4.4 M 10% $235.3 k $0 0% View
106 California Dairies Inc $1.9 M $1.2 M $3.1 M 18% $0 $5.0 M
107 Kindred Healthcare $1.9 M $12.8 M $14.7 M 10% $42.2 M $0 22% View
108 Coca-Cola Co $1.9 M $30.6 M $32.5 M 28% $191.8 M $0 13% View
109 Prudential Financial $1.9 M $43.7 M $45.6 M 26% $1.1 B $2.5 B View
110 General Motors $1.9 M $63.5 M $65.4 M 27% $2.6 B $67.4 B View
111 Safeway Inc $1.8 M $7.8 M $9.6 M 27% $67.1 k $0 30% View
112 Liberty Media $1.8 M $5.7 M $7.5 M 15% $0 $0
113 OSI Restaurant Partners $1.8 M $622.3 k $2.5 M 16% $0 $0
114 Fluor Corp $1.8 M $7.2 M $9.0 M 23% $10.1 B $77.3 k 20% View
115 Marathon Oil $1.8 M $32.9 M $34.7 M 20% $-9.7 k $0 View
116 ConocoPhillips $1.8 M $74.7 M $76.5 M 31% $304.4 M $41.8 k 21% View
117 CH2M HILL $1.8 M $2.3 M $4.1 M 28% $7.5 B $25.7 M View
118 Entergy Corp $1.8 M $26.9 M $28.6 M 26% $155.6 M $10.2 M 7% View
119 Northwestern Mutual $1.8 M $26.6 M $28.4 M 20% $1.1 B $0 View
120 Devon Energy $1.8 M $7.2 M $9.0 M 14% $0 $0 3% View
121 Forest City Enterprises $1.7 M $3.1 M $4.8 M 9% $0 $0 View
122 General Atomics $1.7 M $14.7 M $16.4 M 18% $10.6 B $375.7 M
123 Express Scripts $1.7 M $8.6 M $10.3 M 13% $2.1 B $0 33% View
124 Charles Schwab & Co $1.7 M $15.0 M $16.6 M 14% $2.6 B $0 31% View
125 Procter & Gamble $1.7 M $23.3 M $25.0 M 22% $1.8 B $0 23% View
126 PepsiCo Inc $1.6 M $25.1 M $26.7 M 26% $981.3 M $0 23% View
127 Deutsche Telekom $1.6 M $24.0 M $25.6 M 23% $90.3 M $855.0 k View
128 L-3 Communications $1.6 M $26.6 M $28.2 M 22% $35.2 B $0 21% View
129 Roche Holdings $1.6 M $42.0 M $43.6 M 25% $305.8 M $0 View
130 DTE Energy $1.6 M $8.7 M $10.3 M 22% $19.1 M $0 5% View
131 Parsons Corp $1.6 M $2.1 M $3.7 M 31% $3.3 B $0
132 Reynolds American $1.6 M $22.6 M $24.2 M 21% $-5.1 k $0 29% View
133 US Bancorp $1.6 M $5.1 M $6.6 M 18% $652.7 M $6.8 B 24% View
134 Dean Foods $1.5 M $5.2 M $6.7 M 20% $16.4 M $0 View
135 Harris Corp $1.5 M $18.0 M $19.5 M 20% $1.5 B $0 32% View
136 Murray Energy $1.5 M $2.5 M $3.9 M 4% $0 $0
137 Darden Restaurants $1.5 M $6.7 M $8.2 M 13% $90.9 k $0 16% View
138 Finmeccanica SpA $1.5 M $31.8 M $33.3 M 16% $7.3 B $0 View
139 Brown-Forman Corp $1.5 M $3.7 M $5.2 M 7% $0 $0 View
140 Anadarko Petroleum $1.5 M $16.9 M $18.3 M 11% $2.1 M $0 View
141 Crawford Group $1.5 M $2.6 M $4.1 M 15% $44.8 M $0
142 EMC Corp $1.5 M $10.4 M $11.8 M 9% $21.5 M $0 View
143 Peabody Energy $1.4 M $38.8 M $40.3 M 10% $0 $0 6% View
144 AMR Corp $1.4 M $32.9 M $34.3 M 33% $19.6 M $0 View
145 Target Corp $1.4 M $10.8 M $12.2 M 14% $0 $0 27% View
146 Energy Future Holdings Corp $1.4 M $21.6 M $23.0 M 19% $49.2 M $3.7 M
147 Corning Inc $1.4 M $5.5 M $6.9 M 16% $9.2 M $9.2 k 0% View
148 MacAndrews & Forbes $1.4 M $11.2 M $12.7 M 10% $11.6 B $0
149 Clear Channel Communications $1.4 M $7.1 M $8.5 M 14% $3.5 M $30.6 k
150 SLM Corp $1.4 M $20.4 M $21.8 M 22% $235.8 M $191.6 B View
151 Hartford Financial Services $1.4 M $14.7 M $16.0 M 19% $0 $4.1 B View
152 Cigna Corp $1.4 M $10.1 M $11.5 M 13% $161.8 M $0 21% View
153 CVS/Caremark Corp $1.4 M $42.6 M $43.9 M 17% $3.4 M $0 34% View
154 Monsanto Co $1.3 M $42.4 M $43.8 M 15% $12.6 M $424.1 k 20% View
155 Edison International $1.3 M $13.5 M $14.8 M 18% $212.5 M $66.9 M View
156 Amway/Alticor Inc $1.3 M $2.6 M $4.0 M 7% $1.3 M $0
157 Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold $1.3 M $3.5 M $4.9 M 13% $254.9 k $0 View
158 Medtronic Inc $1.3 M $24.6 M $26.0 M 20% $659.3 M $0 View
159 Zurich Financial Services $1.3 M $30.7 M $32.1 M 19% $0 $0 View
160 Williams Companies $1.3 M $21.1 M $22.4 M 20% $6.9 k $0 11% View
161 AmerisourceBergen Corp $1.3 M $7.3 M $8.6 M 16% $4.7 B $0 24% View
162 Novartis AG $1.3 M $39.4 M $40.7 M 22% $2.1 B $30.5 M View
163 PG&E Corp $1.3 M $87.7 M $89.0 M 18% $64.7 M $28.1 M 17% View
164 eBay Inc $1.3 M $10.9 M $12.2 M 16% $9.4 k $0 View
165 HSBC Holdings $1.3 M $17.4 M $18.7 M 22% $3.9 B $9.9 B View
166 Xcel Energy $1.3 M $12.0 M $13.2 M 20% $120.9 M $0 1%
167 Limited Brands $1.3 M $2.9 M $4.2 M 8% $0 $0 28%
168 Nucor Corp $1.3 M $15.7 M $16.9 M 17% $80.6 k $0 View
169 Boston Scientific Corp $1.3 M $10.4 M $11.7 M 21% $329.7 M $0 View
170 Nationwide $1.2 M $20.1 M $21.4 M 18% $0 $0 View
171 Arch Coal $1.2 M $8.6 M $9.9 M 18% $0 $0 View
172 Apollo Group $1.2 M $4.4 M $5.6 M 9% $4.3 M $5.3 B 34% View
173 Progress Energy $1.2 M $11.3 M $12.5 M 18% $16.6 M $200.0 M 2%
174 PPL Corp $1.2 M $7.7 M $8.9 M 12% $48.2 M $19.1 M 3%
175 Emerson $1.2 M $6.1 M $7.3 M 9% $35.1 M $1.7 M 32% View
176 EnergySolutions Inc $1.2 M $3.3 M $4.4 M 8% $328.0 M $0
177 Dell Inc $1.2 M $15.0 M $16.2 M 11% $8.0 B $3.2 M
178 Jacobs Engineering Group $1.2 M $3.3 M $4.4 M 17% $8.6 B $220.2 k 35% View
179 Computer Sciences Corp $1.2 M $8.3 M $9.5 M 16% $19.9 B $-157.5 k View
180 Sprint Nextel $1.2 M $17.8 M $19.0 M 22% $814.4 M $7.3 M
181 Shaw Group $1.2 M $7.9 M $9.0 M 10% $6.8 B $0
182 Cintas Corp $1.2 M $1.2 M $2.3 M 4% $17.3 M $500.0 View
183 Bayer AG $1.1 M $37.7 M $38.9 M 23% $158.8 M $1.8 M View
184 General Mills $1.1 M $5.6 M $6.7 M 11% $1.3 B $343.0 k 20% View
185 Tyco International $1.1 M $12.3 M $13.5 M 14% $633.8 M $161.0 View
186 Timken Co $1.1 M $3.4 M $4.5 M 7% $188.2 M $6.7 M View
187 National Amusements Inc $1.1 M $42.6 M $43.7 M 23% $9.2 M $0
188 Walgreen Co $1.1 M $10.4 M $11.6 M 21% $227.6 k $0 31% View
189 Pacific Mutual Holding $1.1 M $4.8 M $5.9 M 15% $0 $0 View
190 Level 3 Communications $1.1 M $3.0 M $4.1 M 7% $73.9 M $0 View
191 Motorola Solutions $1.1 M $21.2 M $20.0 M 21% $1.6 B $0
192 Cash America International $1.1 M $3.8 M $4.9 M 16% $0 $0
193 Land O'Lakes $1.1 M $4.2 M $5.3 M 19% $407.1 M $8.5 M View
194 Intuit $1.1 M $12.8 M $13.9 M 11% $887.7 k $0 View
195 US Steel $1.1 M $22.3 M $23.4 M 17% $50.9 k $0 View
196 Allstate Insurance $1.1 M $22.3 M $23.4 M 20% $0 $0 View
197 BASF SE $1.1 M $7.7 M $8.8 M 45% $22.6 k $30.6 M View
198 TIAA-CREF $1.1 M $9.4 M $10.4 M 19% $92.7 M $0 View
199 Cargill $1.1 M $8.5 M $9.6 M 14% $1.1 B $5.4 B View
200 Halliburton Co $1.1 M $3.1 M $4.2 M 17% $934.7 k $0 23% View
Average $3.0 M $25.9 M $28.9 M 27% $6.4 B $15.8 B 19% View
Total $597.4 M $5.2 B $5.8 B $1.3 T $3.2 T View

Data Dictionary

Column
Definition
Rank
The organization's rank, by total contributions
Organization
The organization's name, with a link to their Influence Explorer profile
Contributions
Includes PAC and individual contributions to federal committees made between Jan. 1, 2007 and Dec. 31, 2012. Data downloaded from the Center for Responsive Politics and analyzed by the Sunlight Foundation.
Lobbying
Disclosed spending on federal lobbying from 2007 to 2012. Data downloaded from the Center for Responsive Politics and analyzed by the Sunlight Foundation.
Total Influence
Sum of the contribution and lobbying totals.
Hill Coverage
Average percentage of incumbent members of Congress receiving contributions from the organization over the course of the 2008, 2010 and 2012 election cycles.
Federal Business
Company business generated or facilitated by the federal government. Includes federal contracts, foreign sales created through the Export-Import Bank, Federal Reserve purchases of asset-backed securities and payments made to counter-parties of American International Group after the federal government took over the insurance giant.
Federal Support
Government support for businesses, including loans, loan guarantees, grants, and money advanced to companies in the aftermath of the financial crisis through an array of mechanisms including the Capital Purchase Program, the Auto Industry Financing Program, the Targeted Investment Program, the Term Auction Facility, the Term Securities Lending Facility, the Commercial Paper Funding Facility, the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility and the Asset-Backed Commercial Paper Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility.
Effective Tax Rate
Citizens for Tax Justice analyzed the effective corporate tax rate for 125 publicly traded companies covering the years 2008 through 2013. Many of the companies CTJ analyzed were also companies Sunlight examined. CTJ has much more information on corporate taxation in their Sorry State of Corporate Taxation report.
State Subsidies
Good Jobs First tracks state and local subsidies won by for-profit companies. Many of the companies examined in the Fixed Fortunes study also have won subsidies from state and local governments. Click the link to see those subsidies for each company listed above, or visit the Good Jobs First\nSubsidy Tracker to learn more.