CH14 study guide

What did the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 do?

Aimed to regulate campaign financing by prohibiting soft money contributions to national political parties and addressing issue ads that target federal candidates.

What are the five ways the federal goverment regulares campaigns?

1. Contribution limits — caps on how much individuals and groups can donate

2. Disclosure requirements — campaigns must report who donated and how money is spent

3. Public financing — government funds available for presidential campaigns

4. Spending limits — restrictions on how much can be spent (if public funds are accepted)

5. FEC oversight — the Federal Election Commission enforces all campaign finance laws

In citizens United v FEC, what kind of approach was goverment regulation argud for?

Argued to maintain that corporations and unions should be limited in their ability to spend money on independent political advertising to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption in elections.

How much are indiviudals limited to donate?

$2,900

Why do interest groups use poltiical action committes (PAC) ?

To raise and donate money to political candidates while staying within legal contribution limits.

What is the primary function of PAC

To collect money from members and donate it to political campaigns.

Who are PACS more likely to give money to during congressional campagins?

Incumbents, because they are more likely to win and can influence policy.

Who do PACS hope to gain acess to when donating?

Elected officials and lawmakers, to influence their decisions on policy.

Do PACS give more to presidental campaign or congressional

Congressional campaigns, because members of Congress directly influence legislation that affects the interest groups PACs represent.

What was the consequence of the ruling on Citizens United v FEC?

It allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political expenditures, leading to the rise of Super PACs.