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mass media
restricted the amount that could be spent on mass media advertising, including TV -
individual or groups
limited how much individual and group could contribute to candidate -
Purpose of FECA In '71
-Limit contributions to ensure that wealthy individuals and special interest groups did not have a disproportionate influence on Federal elections;
-Prohibit certain sources of funds for Federal campaign purposes;
-Control campaign spending; and
-Require public disclosure of campaign finances to deter abuse and to educate the electorate. -
income tax checkoff
Congress established the income tax checkoff to provide for the financing of Presidential general election campaigns and national party conventions. -
What fear has arisen due to the high cost of campaigns
Since the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act, spending has risen sharply, the number of political action committees and the amount of PAC spending are up, and incumbents have increased both their reelection rate and the rate at which they outspend their challengers. -
What is PAC?
Political action Committee - an organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level. -
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
The FEC opened its doors in 1975 and administered the first publicly funded Presidential election in 1976. -
what was the first limit imposed on FECA by the supreme court
After ‘74 when limits were set on individual, PAC, and political party donations, 2 years later the Supreme Court got rid of or heavily reduced the limits once in place for how much a candidate can donate to his or her own campaign, and congress followed by furthering amendments in ‘76 to mirror those decisions, making any existing limits weak at that. -
Soft money
a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, thus avoiding various legal limitations. -
Buckley v. Valeo
The Supreme Court struck down or narrowed several provisions of the 1974 amendments to the Act, including limits on spending and limits on the amount of money a candidate could donate to his or her own campaign -
amendments
Congress made further amendments to the FECA in 1976 following those decisions; major amendments were also made in 1979 to streamline the disclosure process and expand the role of political parties. -
bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
In 2002, Congress made major revisions to the FECA in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, more commonly referred to as "McCain-Feingold." However, major portions of McCain-Feingold were struck down by the Supreme Court on Constitutional grounds in Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc. -
citizens united
he Citizens United ruling also struck down FECA's complete ban on corporate and union independent spending, originally passed as part of the Taft-Hartley law in 1947. -
money spent by candidates?
house incumbent- 1.7 million
house challenger- 700,000
senate incumbent- 13 million
senate challenger- 5 million
president- 4.5 billion combined