Federal Laws & Acts

Tillman Act (1907)

The first federal campaign finance law prohibiting corporations from making direct monetary contributions to candidates for federal office.

Tillman Act (1907) (Purpose)

Passed to reduce corporate influence over federal elections by banning direct corporate campaign contributions.

Tillman Act (1907) (Significance)

Marked the beginning of federal campaign finance regulation and established the principle that Congress could regulate campaign contributions.

Publicity Act (1910)

Required House candidates to disclose campaign expenditures and limited campaign spending.

Publicity Act Amendments (1911)

Expanded disclosure requirements to Senate candidates and required more detailed reporting of campaign finances.

Federal Corrupt Practices Act (1925)

Strengthened campaign finance disclosure requirements, expanded reporting obligations, and established campaign spending limits, though enforcement was weak.

Federal Corrupt Practices Act (1925) (Purpose)

Attempted to reduce corruption by increasing transparency in federal campaign fundraising and expenditures.

Smith-Connally Act (1943)

Temporarily prohibited labor unions from making contributions to federal political campaigns during World War II.

War Labor Disputes Act (1943)

Another name for the Smith-Connally Act.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947)

Prohibited labor unions from making direct contributions to federal political campaigns and reaffirmed restrictions on corporate contributions.

Taft-Hartley Act (1947) (Campaign Finance Impact)

Extended federal campaign finance restrictions from corporations to labor unions.

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946)

Required certain lobbyists to register with Congress and disclose lobbying activities.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) (1971)

The major federal law establishing disclosure requirements for campaign contributions and expenditures while regulating campaign financing.

Federal Election Campaign Act (1971) (Purpose)

Improved campaign finance transparency by requiring reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures.

Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments (1974)

Strengthened FECA after Watergate by establishing contribution limits, expenditure limits, the Federal Election Commission, and public financing for presidential elections.

Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments (1974) (Importance)

Created the modern campaign finance regulatory system still used today.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

The independent federal agency responsible for administering and enforcing campaign finance laws.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) (Creation)

Established by the 1974 amendments to FECA.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) (Jurisdiction)

Regulates campaign finance involving federal elections, including presidential, Senate, and House races.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) (Enforcement)

May investigate violations, conduct audits, issue advisory opinions, impose civil penalties, and oversee disclosure requirements.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) (Deadlock)

Because four votes are required for major actions, the evenly divided bipartisan commission often experiences partisan stalemates.

Presidential Election Campaign Fund (1974)

A public financing system funded through voluntary taxpayer income tax checkoffs.

Income Tax Checkoff

The voluntary option allowing taxpayers to designate part of their federal taxes to finance presidential campaigns.

Public Financing Program

The federal system providing public funds to qualifying presidential candidates.

Presidential Matching Funds

Government funds provided to qualifying presidential primary candidates who agree to spending limits.

General Election Grant

Public funding historically provided to major-party presidential nominees accepting expenditure limits.

Contribution Disclosure

The legal requirement to publicly report campaign contributions.

Expenditure Disclosure

The legal requirement to publicly report campaign spending.

Mandatory Reporting

Federal law requiring campaigns and political committees to submit financial reports to the FEC.

Campaign Recordkeeping

The legal requirement to maintain accurate campaign financial records.

Disclosure Threshold

The minimum amount triggering campaign finance reporting requirements.

Contribution Limit Law

Federal laws restricting the amount donors may contribute directly to candidates.

Expenditure Regulation

Federal laws governing campaign spending.

Campaign Finance Enforcement Act

General term describing federal laws authorizing enforcement of campaign finance regulations.

Soft Money

Unlimited contributions historically given to political parties for party-building activities before being restricted.

Soft Money Loophole

The practice of using unlimited party donations to indirectly influence federal elections before BCRA.

Issue Advocacy Loophole

The use of issue advertisements to avoid campaign finance restrictions before BCRA.

Electioneering Communication

Broadcast advertisements mentioning federal candidates shortly before elections that became regulated under BCRA.

Electioneering Communication Window

The 30-day period before a primary and 60-day period before a general election during which certain political advertisements are regulated.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) (2002)

Federal law designed to reduce corruption by banning national party soft money and regulating electioneering communications.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002) (Purpose)

Attempted to close campaign finance loopholes left by FECA and reduce the influence of unlimited donations.

McCain-Feingold Act

The common name for the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.

McCain-Feingold Act (Sponsors)

Named after Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold, who sponsored the legislation.

Soft Money Ban (BCRA)

Prohibited national political parties from accepting or spending unlimited soft money.

National Party Soft Money Ban

The BCRA prohibition on unlimited donations to national political parties.

Electioneering Communication Restrictions

BCRA provisions limiting corporate and union funding of certain political advertisements shortly before elections.

Corporate Electioneering Restriction

The BCRA provision limiting corporate-funded electioneering communications before Citizens United.

Union Electioneering Restriction

The BCRA provision limiting union-funded electioneering communications before Citizens United.

Stand By Your Ad Provision

The BCRA requirement that candidates personally approve many campaign advertisements using the statement "I approve this message."

Disclaimer Requirement

Federal law requiring political advertisements to identify who financed the communication.

Disclosure Provision (BCRA)

Expanded disclosure requirements for election-related political advertisements.

Millionaire's Amendment

A BCRA provision increasing contribution limits for opponents of wealthy self-financed candidates; struck down in Davis v. FEC (2008).

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA) (2007)

Federal law strengthening lobbying disclosure, gift restrictions, travel disclosure, and congressional ethics rules.

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007) (Purpose)

Passed following congressional corruption scandals to improve transparency and ethics.

Lobbying Disclosure Act (1995)

Federal law requiring lobbyists to register and regularly disclose lobbying activities.

Lobbying Disclosure Act (1995) (Purpose)

Increased transparency regarding lobbying expenditures and contacts with federal officials.

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act vs. Lobbying Disclosure Act

The 1995 law replaced the weaker 1946 lobbying law with broader registration and disclosure requirements.

Ethics in Government Act (1978)

Federal law requiring financial disclosure by high-ranking federal officials and establishing ethics oversight.

Ethics in Government Act (1978) (Purpose)

Designed to improve transparency and public confidence following the Watergate scandal.

Federal Ethics Rules

Regulations governing financial disclosure, gifts, conflicts of interest, and lobbying activities involving federal officials.

Gift Rule

Federal ethics restrictions limiting gifts given to members of Congress and federal employees.

Cooling-Off Period

The legally required waiting period before certain former government officials may lobby their former agencies or Congress.

Revolving Door Restrictions

Federal laws limiting movement between government service and lobbying positions.

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) (1938)

Federal law requiring individuals representing foreign governments or interests to register with the Department of Justice.

Foreign Agents Registration Act (Purpose)

Promotes transparency regarding political activities conducted on behalf of foreign governments.

Foreign National Contribution Ban

Federal law prohibiting foreign citizens, governments, and corporations from contributing to federal elections.

Campaign Finance Compliance

Following all applicable federal campaign finance laws and reporting requirements.

Campaign Finance Violation

Any action violating campaign finance statutes, regulations, or disclosure requirements.

Civil Penalty

A monetary fine imposed for violating campaign finance laws.

Criminal Campaign Finance Violation

A serious knowing and willful violation of campaign finance law that may result in criminal prosecution.

Federal Audit

An examination of campaign financial records by the FEC.

Advisory Opinion (FEC)

An official interpretation issued by the Federal Election Commission explaining how campaign finance law applies to specific situations.

Enforcement Matter

An official investigation by the FEC into possible campaign finance violations.

Conciliation Agreement

A settlement reached between the FEC and a campaign or committee to resolve alleged violations.

Reason to Believe Standard

The legal threshold the FEC uses to determine whether an investigation should proceed.

Probable Cause Finding (FEC)

A determination that sufficient evidence exists suggesting campaign finance laws were violated.

Administrative Fine Program

The FEC program imposing automatic civil penalties for certain late campaign finance reports.

Campaign Finance Reform Movement

Political efforts seeking to reduce corruption, increase transparency, and regulate the role of money in elections.

Deregulation Movement

Political efforts arguing that campaign finance restrictions unnecessarily limit First Amendment political speech.

Disclosure-Based Regulation

The approach favoring public disclosure over strict contribution or expenditure limits.

Contribution-Based Regulation

The approach emphasizing limits on campaign contributions to reduce corruption.

Expenditure-Based Regulation

Government attempts to regulate campaign spending, many of which have been limited by Supreme Court decisions.

Modern Campaign Finance System

The legal framework established primarily through FECA, BCRA, and Supreme Court decisions regulating campaign fundraising and spending.

Federal Campaign Finance Framework

The combination of statutes, FEC regulations, and Supreme Court precedents governing campaign finance in the United States.

Watergate Reforms

The campaign finance and ethics reforms enacted after the Watergate scandal, especially the 1974 FECA amendments.

Post-Watergate Campaign Finance Era

The modern period of campaign finance regulation beginning with the reforms enacted after Watergate.

Campaign Finance Reform Debate

The ongoing political and constitutional debate between preventing corruption and protecting First Amendment political speech.