Campaign Finance Regulations: AP Gov Quiz

📚 Quick Study Guide: Campaign Finance Regulations

• 🏛️ Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) - 1971/1974: Primary law regulating political campaign spending and fundraising. Established the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce these laws. Introduced limits on contributions and required disclosure.
• 💰 Soft Money vs. Hard Money: Hard money refers to direct contributions to political candidates and parties, strictly regulated by the FEC. Soft money refers to contributions made to political parties for 'party-building activities' rather than directly for candidates, which was less regulated until Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
• ⚖️ Buckley v. Valeo (1976): Supreme Court ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech (First Amendment). Struck down limits on independent expenditures and personal spending by candidates, but upheld limits on individual contributions.
• 📜 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) - 2002 (McCain-Feingold Act): Banned soft money contributions to national political parties. Increased individual hard money contribution limits. Restricted 'issue ads' close to elections.
• 🛡️ 527 Groups: Tax-exempt organizations named after a section of the U.S. tax code; they can raise unlimited soft money for political activities, as long as they do not coordinate with a candidate or party and focus on 'issue advocacy' rather than direct advocacy for a candidate.
• 🗳️ Citizens United v. FEC (2010): Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions have the same First Amendment free speech rights as individuals. Struck down parts of BCRA, allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political expenditures (e.g., ads advocating for or against candidates) as long as they are not coordinating directly with campaigns.
• 📈 Super PACs: Officially known as 'independent-expenditure-only committees,' they can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, associations, and individuals to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. They are prohibited from coordinating directly with candidates or parties.

📝 Practice Quiz

1. Which Supreme Court case established that spending money in elections is a form of free speech, leading to the striking down of limits on independent expenditures?
   A) McCulloch v. Maryland
   B) Marbury v. Madison
   C) Buckley v. Valeo
   D) Tinker v. Des Moines
2. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002, also known as McCain-Feingold, primarily aimed to eliminate which type of contribution to national political parties?
   A) Hard money
   B) Individual contributions
   C) Soft money
   D) PAC contributions
3. What is the primary function of the Federal Election Commission (FEC)?
   A) To nominate presidential candidates
   B) To regulate and enforce campaign finance laws
   C) To conduct voter registration drives
   D) To oversee congressional ethics investigations
4. After the Citizens United v. FEC ruling, which type of organization can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations and unions to support or oppose political candidates, as long as they don't coordinate with campaigns?
   A) Traditional Political Action Committees (PACs)
   B) 527 Groups
   C) Super PACs
   D) 501(c)(3) organizations
5. Which term refers to direct contributions to political candidates and parties, subject to strict limits and disclosure rules?
   A) Soft money
   B) Dark money
   C) Hard money
   D) Independent expenditures
6. The ruling in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) essentially stated that:
   A) Corporations and unions cannot spend money on political ads.
   B) Campaign contributions are not a form of free speech.
   C) Corporations and unions have First Amendment free speech rights to spend unlimited amounts on independent political expenditures.
   D) All campaign spending must be publicly financed.
7. The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971/1974 did all of the following EXCEPT:
   A) Established the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
   B) Placed limits on individual and PAC contributions.
   C) Banned all forms of soft money contributions.
   D) Required disclosure of campaign contributions.