Campaign Finance and initiatives

Citizens united v FEC (2010)

removed limits on political donations with the US SC ruling them as being a part of free speech

PACs and Super PACs

Political action committees which are legally independent and can spend unlimited sums of money on behalf of their preferred candidates and party

PACs

Limited in the money they can contribute to a candidate

Super PACs

cannot donate directly but can raise unlimited sums of money to drive support to their favoured candidate

e.g. the America PAC which raised over $70 million for the Trump candidate

Elon Musks PAC

America PAC

Elon Musk’s petition 2024

Elon Musk set up a giveaway of $1 million per day for registered voters in the key swing states who signed his petition to protect first and second amendment rights

Initiatives

a method citizens can bypass their state legislature by placing proposed laws or constitutional amendments on the ballot

Abortion initiatives 2024

saw seven states enhance abortion protections including Missouri and Arizona which simultaneously backed Trump decisively in the presidential election

Recall elections

Remove an elected official from office before their term is up

2003 Democrat California Governor Gray Davis removed and replaced with Arnold Schwarzenegger over the management of Cali’s finances

Referendums

act as a veto on state law by the people

Hawaii’s Amendment 1 Referendum on repealed the state legislatures power to limit marriage to heterosexual couples Nov 2024

a preemptive move after Dobbes v Jackson (2022)