Outside Groups: Influential Players in 2012 U.S. General Election (Xu Tongwu) The most outstanding characteristic of America's 2012 general election, compared with past general elections, is the flourishing of outside groups - the various political organizations represented by super PACs. Under the banner of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, those groups are permitted to raise huge amount of funds to influence the voters. This phenomenon marks a big setback of the contemporary campaign finance reform in the United States. It departs from basic values rooted in the federal Constitution, causes American democracy to fall into the political, judicial and ethical dilemmas, and is consequently opposed by the majority of the voters. In fact the crux of the matter is the substantial control of public policy-makings by American capitalist oligarchies. Therefore, the voices of outside groups are hardly expressions of the democratic rights of the largest part of American citizens.