[dragonwriter]

There are significant laws governing elections and political parties in the US, and particularly gathering raising money and spending it on things connected with elections and parties. ISTR a proposed TV reality show based on basically the same kind of idea foundering because the backers couldn't find a way to do the same kind of thing within the regulatory hurdles involved (particularly, as I recall, there was a problem that much of the funds expended in the process could be viewed as campaign contributions in the form of in kind donations to the various candidates, which both limits their legal sources, limits the allowed quantity, and requires special accounting and reporting.)