Conventions 2012: The Price of the Party

The United States is in the midst of its most expensive election season ever. It is not what Washington pundits mean when they say that this year’s presidential race will be won or lost on the economy. Nonetheless, almost $6bn will be spent trying to get Republican and Democratic candidates into office.

Virtually unlimited cash can buy many things – hundreds of hours of television advertising, automated phone calls, a really big party. But who is paying? And what is the price exacted of the country’s democracy?

Sebastian Walker and his team travel from the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, to examine the spectacle being broadcast on US screens.

So what its worth for those who find themselves outside the political arena?