1. How could campaign finance be a slippery slope to corruption? What can we do to fix the problem? Put campaign finance w.s. in basket.

2. You wanted to donate to a campaign in the 2012 Presidential election. By law you were limited to $2500. Who would you have given it to? But you are a millionaire business owner and would really like to spend up to $100,000 on the campaign. What could you do?

3. What gives you the RIGHT to donate $$$ to a campaign? See Woll #36

4. Campaign Finance In 2012, campaigns for President Obama and Mitt Romney spent over $1 billion apiece. Where does all that $$ come from? What do BIG donors get in return?

5. Some Common Assumptions (they are true) The candidate that raises the most $$$ will win (most of the time). Big $$$ wants to donate. Donors want influence. The $$$ influences the candidate.

6. Types of Revenue Hard Money – Recorded and regulated, donations directly to a candidates’ campaign. $2500 limit per campaign per election cycle for 2012. Soft Money – Donations to national, state and local parties, and interest groups that is then funneled to individual campaigns. Virtually unregulated till 2002.

7. Revenue Sources Individual citizens – biggest source Political Action Committees – PACs fundraising wing of interest groups Party Contributions Member-to-Candidate Personal Contributions Public Funds – Presidential candidates in parties that won at least 5% of the vote in the previous election. Must follow restrictions if you accept it.

8. Regulation Federal Election Commission – Group responsible for enforcing fundraising guidelines. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act – (2002) See handout. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) – allows groups independent of a campaign to spend unlimited $$$ on issue ads. OyezOyez opensecrets.org