Campaign Finance and Elections

These flashcards cover key concepts related to campaign finance, elections, primaries, the electoral college, and judicial elections, based on lecture notes.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

A 1974 reform law aimed to regulate money in federal elections, created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Buckley v. Valeo

A 1976 Supreme Court ruling that upheld contribution limits but struck down expenditure limits as a violation of free speech.

Citizens United v. FEC

A 2010 Supreme Court case allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited money independently on political campaigns.

Soft Money

Funds raised for party-building activities rather than specific candidates, banned by McCain-Feingold (BCRA, 2002).

Super PAC

Independent Political Action Committees that can raise and spend unlimited money but cannot coordinate directly with candidates.

Invisible Primary

The phase of fundraising and endorsements that takes place before the official primaries.

Caucus

A local party meeting where members publicly vote on candidates, characterized by low turnout and favoring motivated voters.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution to elect the president, whereby voters choose electors, not directly the candidates.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another, contributing to reduced competition in elections.

Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co.

A 2009 Supreme Court case ruling that due process is violated when extreme campaign support creates a probability of bias in judicial elections.

Mandate

The claim that an election victory authorizes a candidate to enact specific policy changes, often considered ambiguous.