Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Ch 9 - Elections - Class 3

4. How has campaign finance law evolved in recent decades?
    • Analysis: Federal Election Campaign Act, aka FECA (EQ #4)
      • What were the causes of FECA?
        • Watergate
        • Lack of regulation and transparency in ads (i.e. Daisy Ad)
      • What were the effects of FECA?
        • Creation of Federal Elections Commission (Website) and increased transparency (i.e. 1984 Reagan ad)
        • Public financing for presidential general elections (Website)
        • Groups must form Political Action Committees, aka PACs to contribute to candidates (Website)
        • Limits on contributions to candidates, also known as hard money (Website)
        • Limits on expenditures by candidates
      • What did the Supreme Court say about FECA?
        • Buckley v. Valeo (1976): Struck down limits on expenditures because spending money = free speech under the 1st Amendment
    • Analysis: Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, aka BCRA, aka McCain-Feingold (EQ #4)
      • What were the causes of BCRA?
      • What were the effects of BCRA?
        • Ban on soft money; contributions to parties are now hard money
        • Corporate/union treasuries cannot fund issue ads 30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election
        • Stand by your ad: "I approve this message" (i.e. 2004 Bush ad)
        • Rise in bundlers (i.e. 2012 bundlers)  
      • What did the Supreme Court say about BCRA?
        • McConnell v. FEC (2003): Upheld BCRA's ban on soft money
        • Citizens United v. FEC (2010): Struck down limits on issue ads and opened the door for Super PACs (Website)
    • Primary Sources: 2012 Campaign Ads
    • Evaluate: Campaign Finance Laws
      • What do we think of the current system?
      • What, if anything, would you change?
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