Campaigns vs. Elections:

• Campaigns are efforts to influence decision making.

• Elections are the formal selection of individuals for office.

Politics vs. Policy:

• Politics involves negotiation and conflict within governance.

• Policy consists of established laws through these political processes.

Three Pillars for Federal Policy:

• Campaign finance

• Election administration

• Voting

Major Federal Statutes:

• FECA governs campaign finance.

• HAVA, NVRA, UOCAVA address election administration.

• VRA ensures voting rights.

Key Constitutional Provisions:

• Articles I and II establish legislative and executive branches.

• The First Amendment protects speech, assembly, and petition rights.

• The Twelfth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-Sixth Amendments influence election processes and voting rights.

Campaign Finance Issues:

• Distinguishing contributions from expenditures is crucial.

• Transparency in funding and regulation of political committees is essential.

Corruption Views:

• Understand broad and narrow views of corruption, focusing on legal definitions.

• Recognition of the fine line between poor judgment and corruption illustrated by historical scandals like the Keating Five.

Public Administration Relations:

• Historical contexts of the Spoils System and Progressive Era highlight the evolution of campaign finance and administrative ethics.

Neutral Competence:

• Understand the link between public administration and campaign finance as it evolves under the concept of impartial governance.