A brief outline of current campaign finance laws.

2.  Walking Review
• WALK around the room and talk to your peers
• “Use” your peers to help you answer the questions
on the sheet.
• You may only receive one answer per peer

3. Increase in
Fund-raising
for
Presidential
Nomination
Campaigns

4.  The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms
• Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974
 Created Federal Election Commission;
 Provided public financing for presidential primaries and
general elections;
 Limited presidential campaign spending;
 Required disclosure of funds;
 and limited contributions.
 Around $2,300 per person

5. LO 9.3
 The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms (cont.)
• Soft Money
 Contributions for party building expenses or generic party
advertising not subject to contribution limits.
• McCain-Feingold Act (2002) bans soft
money, increased amount of individual
contributions, and limited issue ads.

6.  The Maze of Campaign Finance Reforms (cont.)
• 527 Groups
 Independent groups seek to influence the political process
but are not subject to contribution limits because they do
not directly seek election of particular candidates.
• 501(c) AKA Super PACS
 Allows for unlimited political donations

7.  Citizens United v. F.E.C.
• Supreme Court said that limiting corporations/unions
on campaign spending was a violation of their first
amendment right

8. LO 9.3
To Learning Objectives
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman

9.  Are Campaigns Too Expensive?
• Center for Responsive Politics estimated in 2008
that the contests for the presidency and Congress
cost over $5 billion.
• More congressional incumbents spend, the worse
they do.
 Connected to the fact that the more they spend the
tougher their opponent is
• Doctrine of sufficiency
 Spend enough money to get a message across to
compete effectively.