› The Changing Campaign  Before most households had televisions, campaigning was personalized. Campaigns today are often less personal, with voters receiving information through the media.  In the recent decades campaigns have become less party-centered and more candidate-centered. › The Professional Campaign  It is now commonplace for candidates even for local offices to hire consultants for their campaigns.

– Candidate Visibility and Appeal – The Use of Opinion Polls – Focus Groups  $$$  Issue Advocacy Ads

 In the past hundred years, there have been ten presidential elections in which an incumbent president was seeking a second term in the White House for his party with the most recent being 2004.

 Incumbent party candidates have won nine of those ten first term elections.  Jimmy Carter in 1980 was the only first term incumbent party candidate in the past century to lose.

 Name Recognition  White House Staff & Facilities or Congressional Staff  Taking Actions To Maximize Political Advantage  Foreign Policy To Maximize Foreign Policy Experience

– Regulating Campaign Financing Federal Election Campaign Act (1971) –Created the Federal Election Commission –Provided for public funding of presidential primaries and general elections –Limited presidential campaign spending for those who accept public funding –Placed limitations on contributions –Required disclosure of the source of contributions and what the expenditures were for

– Buckley v. Valeo. The 1971 act had placed limits on how much money a candidate could spend on his or her own campaign. – In 1976, the Supreme Court ruled that this provision was unconstitutional. – Money = Speech

 Hard Money  “Hard money" is from political donations that are regulated by law through the Federal Election Commission  Soft Money Soft Money  "Soft money" is money donated to political parties in a way that leaves the contribution unregulated. The difference boils down to a few crucial words and one administrative ruling.

In 2008 House elections, in only 2% of the races did the candidate with lower campaign contributions win In 2008 Senate races, in only 6% of the races did the candidate with lower campaign contributions win. Nine in 10 members of the U.S. House and Senate who sought new terms in office in 2012 were successful, improving their record for re- election even as public approval of Congress sank to all-time lows.

› Banned soft money contributions to the national party committees. It also placed limitations on issue advocacy advertisements and increased the individual contribution limit to $2000 (from $1000). › Will hurt the ability of the political parties to help the candidates running on the party label. This could lead to less cohesiveness within the parties. › Limited the amount of issue advocacy ads within 60 days of an election

 The new Supreme Court ruling blurs the lines between corporate and individual contributions in political campaigns. It also strikes down part of the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law that banned unions and corporations from paying for political ads in the waning days of campaigns.

 Citizens United wanted to air a 90- minute documentary chronicling Clinton's more than 30 years in public life from a conservative perspective through news clips, interviews with acquaintances and other material. Citizens United spokesman Will Holley said the film was sold online and through retailers for $19.95 and was in limited distribution at select movie theaters during  But questions arose when Citizens United sought to advertise Hillary The Movie on television in January 2008 — the same month as major Democratic primaries — without running any disclaimers or disclosures of donors.

 The FEC barred the ads from running without the disclaimers. Citizens United claimed that the advertisements were commercial speech more akin to a documentary, rather than opposition to candidate Clinton.Citizens United

 PAC’s began as associations organized by labor unions to bundle together their members’ campaign donations.  Some old-line trade groups such as the American Medical Association had PACs as well.  With big donations from wealthy individuals banned in 1974, PACs suddenly looked like a great way to channel money.   ,400  ,600.

 Connected PAC’s  Connected PACs are associated with unions, corporations, or other groups. They take money only from individuals who belong to the group in question.  Unconnected PAC’s  Unconnected PACs are not associated with another organization. They’re organized around issues, or ideologies, or even members of Congress.

 Super PACs are a new breed created after Citizens United struck down some restrictions.  Individuals can give only $5,000 a year to a regular PAC.  Regular PACs are limited to hard-money donations to candidates ($5,000 annually), parties ($15,000 annually), or other PACs  Why are they Super?  They’re “super” because there is no limit to how much money they can receive from an individual, corporation, or union.  SuperPacs can’t give money directly to candidates to help in elections.  They can spend unlimited amounts advocating for or against political candidates on their own

 Spending Limits?? Spending Limits??