1. Campaign Finance Or how can I raise $250 million to run for president?

2. Contribution limits To a candidate or candidate committee per primary or general election To a national party committee per year To any other political committee per year Total per campaign cycle Individuals$2,300$28,500$5,000 $108,200: $42,700 to candidates $65,000 to PACs and parties Single Candidate PACS $2,300$28,500$5,000No limit Multicandidate PACs $5,000$15,000$5,000No limit

3. How do we keep track of all of this? All contributions over $100 MUST be reported to the FEC – this is known as “Hard money,” because of its firm limits The Federal Gov’t will match contributions from individuals for up to $250 for Presidential candidates. Congress gets nothing. If you accept Fed funds, then you are limited to how much of your own money you can use in a campaign. Would it be advantageous for him to accept federal funds?

4. How transparent are these donations? http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/presiden t/campaign-finance/map.htmlhttp://elections.nytimes.com/2008/presiden t/campaign-finance/map.html http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/presiden t/campaign-finance/search- contributions.html?scp=5&sq=campaign% 20finance&st=csehttp://elections.nytimes.com/2008/presiden t/campaign-finance/search- contributions.html?scp=5&sq=campaign% 20finance&st=cse

5. How to avoid rules Collect before you announce that you’re going to run- see Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson Give to a political party- there are virtually no limits, they spend on voter registration (turnout), and for issue ads. –This is known as “soft money,” which is unlimited. 527’s are tax exempt political organizations that use independent funds to attack or support specific candidates through “Issue ads.” Bundle! It’s like facebook, but your friends have money!

6. McCain-Feingold Act (2002, a.k.a. BCRA) tried to limit soft money by determining what it could be spent on, and tried to stop issue ads from running with 30 days of a caucus or 60 days of a primary. Also, a candidaite has to “approve their message.” Is campaign finance reform an issue of limiting free speech?

7. Buckley v. Valeo A restriction on the amount of money a person or group can spend on political communication during a campaign necessarily reduces the quantity of expression by restricting the number of issues discussed, the depth of their exploration, and the size of the audience reached. This is because virtually every means of communicating ideas in today's mass society requires the expenditure of money. Contributions are limited, but spending is NOT. “Independent” expenditure is unlimited as well. F.E.C. v. Wisconsin Right to Life (2007) allows issue ads to be run up until an election.

8. Democratic Candidates Candidate Home State Q3 Raised Q3 Spent Total Raised Total Spent Cash on Hand Debts Clinton, HillaryNY $27,859,861 $22,623,680 $90,935,788 $40,472,775 $50,463,013 $2,347,486 Obama, BarackIL $21,343,292 $21,519,790 $80,256,427 $44,169,236 $36,087,191 $1,409,740 Edwards, JohnNC $7,157,233 $8,271,938 $30,329,152 $17,932,103 $12,397,048 $0 Dodd, ChrisCT $1,522,061 $4,025,458 $13,598,152 $9,723,278 $3,874,874 $0 Kucinich, DennisOH $1,011,696 $888,774 $2,130,200 $1,803,576 $327,094 $0 Gravel, MikeAK $130,598 $144,224 $379,795 $362,268 $17,526 $85,853 Republican Candidates Candidate Home State Q3 Raised Q3 Spent Total Raised Total Spent Cash on Hand Debts Romney, MittMA $18,396,719 $21,301,756 $62,829,069 $53,612,552 $9,216,517 $17,350,000 Giuliani, RudyNY $11,624,255 $13,300,650 $47,253,521 $30,603,695 $16,49,826 $169,256 McCain, JohnAZ $5,734,478 $5,470,277 $32,124,785 $28,636,157 $3,488,628 $1,730,691 Thompson, FredTN $12,828,111 $5,706,367 $12,828,111 $5,706,367 $7,121,744 $678,432 Paul, RonTX $5,258,456 $2,169,644 $8,268,43 $2,824,786 $5,443,667 $0 Huckabee, MikeAR $1,034,486 $819,376 $2,345,798 $1,694,497 $651,301 $47,810 Hunter, DuncanCA $536,357 $618,117 $1,890,873 $1,758,132 $132,742 $50,000 As of June 2008…