Court Case Chaos
Which Supreme Court case upheld limits on campaign contributions but struck down limits on certain campaign spending?
Buckley v. Valeo
What type of money is donated directly to a political candidate?
Hard money
What does FECA stand for?
Federal Election Campaign Act
What does PAC stand for?
Political Action Committee
What federal agency enforces and administers federal campaign-finance laws?
Federal Election Commission, or FEC
In Buckley v. Valeo, what constitutional amendment did challengers argue FECA violated?
The 1st Ammendment
What type of money was traditionally given to political parties for general party-building activities?
Soft money
In what year was FECA originally passed?
1971
Which type of PAC is associated with corporations, labor unions, or trade organizations?
Connected PAC
Under the 1974 FECA rules, how much could an individual contribute per election?
$1,000
Which Supreme Court case ruled that corporations, labor unions, and other organizations could independently spend money to support or oppose candidates?
Citizens United v. FEC
What is an aggregate contribution limit?
A limit on the total amount someone can contribute across multiple candidates or committees.
What campaign-finance law is also known as the McCain-Feingold Act?
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, or BCRA
Which type of PAC has no sponsoring organization and is often focused on a single issue?
Nonconnected PAC
Under the 1974 FECA rules, how much could a PAC contribute per election?
$5,000
In Citizens United v. FEC, what important condition had to be met for the political spending to be allowed?
The spending could not be coordinated with a candidate or campaign.
What is dark money?
Political spending where the original source of the money is difficult to trace.
BCRA increased the individual contribution limit from $1,000 to what amount?
$2,000
Which type of PAC is started by a current or former elected official and raises money to support other candidates?
Leadership PAC
What law required candidates to clearly state when they approved a campaign advertisement?
BCRA
Which Supreme Court case struck down the overall limit on how much one donor could contribute across multiple candidates and committees?
McCutcheon v. FEC
What is the difference between a campaign contribution and a campaign expenditure?
A contribution is money given to a campaign, while an expenditure is money spent to influence an election or communicate a political message.
Under BCRA, electioneering communications were restricted how many days before a primary and how many days before a general election?
30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election
What is the major rule a Super PAC must follow when spending unlimited amounts to influence elections?
It cannot formally coordinate with a candidate or campaign.
FECA created a voluntary public fund to help what type of political candidates?
Viable presidential candidates