MONEY & ELECTIONS

CAMPAIGN SPENDING

• Most $ spent on presidential campaigns

TOTAL CAMPAIGN SPENDINGYEAR Est.

SpendingVoter

Turnout*Spending per

voter

1960 $175 million 68.8 million $2.541964 $200 million 70.6 million $2.831968 $300 million 73.2 million $4.101972 $425 million 77.7 million $5.471976 $540 million 81.6 million $6.621980 $1.2 billion 86.6 million $13.871984 $1.8 billion 92.7 million $19.421988 $2.7 billion 91.6 million $29.481992 $3.2 billion 104.4 million $30.651996 $4.0 billion 96.5 million $41.452000 $5.1 billion 103.1 million $49.462004 $4.4 billion 122.3 million $35.982008 $5.5 billion 132.6 million $41.482012 $6.4 billion 130.2 million $49.16

*Federal elections

SOURCES OF FUNDING

A. Private & Public Sources1. Small contributors ($5, $10, $20, etc.)2. Wealthy individual families: large donations3. Candidates: both challengers, their families, & people

who want to keep appointive public offices

SOURCES OF FUNDING

4. Nonparty groupsa. PACS- Political Action Committees- political arms of

special-interest groups5. Temporary organizations- groups formed for

immediate purposes of campaign, including fundraising

*Subsidy: grant or gift of money, usually from gov’t

SOURCES OF FUNDING

A. Why people give1. Form of political participation2. Believe in candidate/party3. Social recognition4. Political gains5. Policy aims

REGULATING CAMPAIGN FINANCEA. FECA- Federal

Election Campaign Acts

1. Regulate use of money in presidential & congressional campaigns

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

A. FEC administers all federal law dealing with campaign finance

1. Campaign finance data2. Limits contributions3. Limits expenditures4. Provide public funding for parts of election process

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

A. Disclosure Requirements1. Spotlight the place of $ in federal campaigns

B. Limits on ContributionsC. PAC Contributions

$

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

D. Limits on Expenditures1. Limit $ candidates can put in own campaign

E. Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns1. Preconvention campaigns2. National conventions3. Presidential Election Campaigns

LOOPHOLES IN THE LAW

A. Soft money: $ given to State & local party organizations for “party-building activities”

B. Hard money: campaign $ that is subject to regulation by the FEC