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Campaign finance
Contribution
Vocabulary
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Do you want a short glossary or a longer list? Below is a compact, useful vocabulary list for campaign finance with plain definitions and brief examples.
Core terms
- Campaign finance — The rules, practices, and money used to fund political campaigns, including contributions, expenditures, reporting, and enforcement.
- Contribution — A gift of money, goods, or services given to a candidate, campaign, party, or political committee that is regulated under campaign‑finance law (often subject to limits and disclosure).
- Example: A $500 check to a candidate’s campaign is a contribution.
- Expenditure — Money spent to influence an election (paid by a campaign or by outside groups). Expenditures by campaigns are subject to different rules than independent expenditures by outside groups.
- In‑kind contribution — A non‑monetary donation of goods or services (e.g., free advertising, office space, or volunteer professional services) that counts as a contribution.
- Independent expenditure — Money spent by a person or group to advocate for or against a candidate without coordinating with that candidate’s campaign; often unlimited for some groups (e.g., Super PACs) but must be disclosed.
- Coordinated expenditure — Spending by an outside group that is made in coordination with a candidate or campaign; treated as a contribution and subject to limits.
Types of organizations
- Political Action Committee (PAC) — An organization that collects contributions and makes donations to candidates and political causes; subject to contribution limits.
- Super PAC (independent‑expenditure‑only committee) — Can raise and spend unlimited amounts to advocate for or against candidates so long as it does not coordinate with campaigns; must disclose donors.
- 501(c)(4) — A tax‑exempt “social welfare” organization that can engage in political activity; often called “dark money” when it spends politically because donor identities may not be disclosed.
- 527 committee — A political organization formed primarily to influence elections, required to disclose donors but with different rules than PACs.
- Party committee — Local/state/national party organizations that raise and spend money for electoral activity; subject to special limits and rules.
Rules, limits, and violations
- Contribution limits — Legal caps on how much an individual or entity may give to a candidate, PAC, or party during a given period.
- Aggregate limits — Total caps that apply across multiple recipients or committees (less common since Citizens United and related rulings).
- Prohibited contribution — A contribution from a banned source (e.g., foreign national) or an amount/type not allowed under law.
- Straw donor (conduit) — An illegal scheme where one person gives money in another’s name to hide the true source.
- Bundling — When an individual collects multiple contributions from others and forwards them to a campaign; bundlers can be influential but bundling must follow reporting rules.
- Quid pro quo corruption — An unlawful exchange (contribution in return for specific official action); a high legal standard used in enforcement.
Communications and disclosure
- Express advocacy — Communications that explicitly urge the election or defeat of a candidate (e.g., “Vote for X”); often triggers stricter rules/disclosure.
- Electioneering communication — Broadcast or digital ads that refer to a candidate close to an election; may trigger disclosure and regulation even if they avoid explicit “vote” language.
- Disclosure — Laws and requirements for publicly reporting contributors, amounts, and expenditures (often filed with the FEC or state election authorities).
- Dark money — Political spending where the original sources of the funds are not disclosed to the public (commonly through certain nonprofits).
Agencies and laws
- Federal Election Commission (FEC) — U.S. federal agency that enforces federal campaign finance law (disclosure, limits, enforcement).
- FECA (Federal Election Campaign Act) — The main federal statute governing contributions, expenditures, and disclosure for federal elections.
- Citizens United v. FEC — 2010 Supreme Court decision allowing corporations and unions to make independent expenditures, leading to the growth of Super PACs.
Other useful terms
- Candidate committee — The official campaign committee that handles a candidate’s fundraising and spending.
- Personal funds — Money a candidate contributes from personal assets to their own campaign (often treated differently than outside contributions).
- Public financing — Government funds provided to qualifying candidates to finance campaigns, sometimes in exchange for spending limits (e.g., matching funds, full public financing).
- Matching funds — Public funds that match small donations to encourage small‑donor fundraising (used in some local/state/federal systems).
- Compliance/reporting period — The timeframes and deadlines for filing campaign finance reports (quarterly, pre/post‑election, etc.).
- Enforcement action — FEC or state investigation, fine, or other sanction for violating campaign finance rules.
If you want:
- A printable one‑page glossary,
- Terms grouped by federal vs. state rules,
- Definitions tailored for classroom flashcards,
tell me which and I’ll format it.
Core terms
- Campaign finance — The rules, practices, and money used to fund political campaigns, including contributions, expenditures, reporting, and enforcement.
- Contribution — A gift of money, goods, or services given to a candidate, campaign, party, or political committee that is regulated under campaign‑finance law (often subject to limits and disclosure).
- Example: A $500 check to a candidate’s campaign is a contribution.
- Expenditure — Money spent to influence an election (paid by a campaign or by outside groups). Expenditures by campaigns are subject to different rules than independent expenditures by outside groups.
- In‑kind contribution — A non‑monetary donation of goods or services (e.g., free advertising, office space, or volunteer professional services) that counts as a contribution.
- Independent expenditure — Money spent by a person or group to advocate for or against a candidate without coordinating with that candidate’s campaign; often unlimited for some groups (e.g., Super PACs) but must be disclosed.
- Coordinated expenditure — Spending by an outside group that is made in coordination with a candidate or campaign; treated as a contribution and subject to limits.
Types of organizations
- Political Action Committee (PAC) — An organization that collects contributions and makes donations to candidates and political causes; subject to contribution limits.
- Super PAC (independent‑expenditure‑only committee) — Can raise and spend unlimited amounts to advocate for or against candidates so long as it does not coordinate with campaigns; must disclose donors.
- 501(c)(4) — A tax‑exempt “social welfare” organization that can engage in political activity; often called “dark money” when it spends politically because donor identities may not be disclosed.
- 527 committee — A political organization formed primarily to influence elections, required to disclose donors but with different rules than PACs.
- Party committee — Local/state/national party organizations that raise and spend money for electoral activity; subject to special limits and rules.
Rules, limits, and violations
- Contribution limits — Legal caps on how much an individual or entity may give to a candidate, PAC, or party during a given period.
- Aggregate limits — Total caps that apply across multiple recipients or committees (less common since Citizens United and related rulings).
- Prohibited contribution — A contribution from a banned source (e.g., foreign national) or an amount/type not allowed under law.
- Straw donor (conduit) — An illegal scheme where one person gives money in another’s name to hide the true source.
- Bundling — When an individual collects multiple contributions from others and forwards them to a campaign; bundlers can be influential but bundling must follow reporting rules.
- Quid pro quo corruption — An unlawful exchange (contribution in return for specific official action); a high legal standard used in enforcement.
Communications and disclosure
- Express advocacy — Communications that explicitly urge the election or defeat of a candidate (e.g., “Vote for X”); often triggers stricter rules/disclosure.
- Electioneering communication — Broadcast or digital ads that refer to a candidate close to an election; may trigger disclosure and regulation even if they avoid explicit “vote” language.
- Disclosure — Laws and requirements for publicly reporting contributors, amounts, and expenditures (often filed with the FEC or state election authorities).
- Dark money — Political spending where the original sources of the funds are not disclosed to the public (commonly through certain nonprofits).
Agencies and laws
- Federal Election Commission (FEC) — U.S. federal agency that enforces federal campaign finance law (disclosure, limits, enforcement).
- FECA (Federal Election Campaign Act) — The main federal statute governing contributions, expenditures, and disclosure for federal elections.
- Citizens United v. FEC — 2010 Supreme Court decision allowing corporations and unions to make independent expenditures, leading to the growth of Super PACs.
Other useful terms
- Candidate committee — The official campaign committee that handles a candidate’s fundraising and spending.
- Personal funds — Money a candidate contributes from personal assets to their own campaign (often treated differently than outside contributions).
- Public financing — Government funds provided to qualifying candidates to finance campaigns, sometimes in exchange for spending limits (e.g., matching funds, full public financing).
- Matching funds — Public funds that match small donations to encourage small‑donor fundraising (used in some local/state/federal systems).
- Compliance/reporting period — The timeframes and deadlines for filing campaign finance reports (quarterly, pre/post‑election, etc.).
- Enforcement action — FEC or state investigation, fine, or other sanction for violating campaign finance rules.
If you want:
- A printable one‑page glossary,
- Terms grouped by federal vs. state rules,
- Definitions tailored for classroom flashcards,
tell me which and I’ll format it.
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