Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Campaign Finance. INTEREST GROUPS Criticisms: 1.Interest groups push their own agenda, which is not always in the best interest of most Americans. 2.

Published byAlice Morton Modified over 9 years ago

Similar presentations

Presentation on theme: "Campaign Finance. INTEREST GROUPS Criticisms: 1.Interest groups push their own agenda, which is not always in the best interest of most Americans. 2."— Presentation transcript:

1 Campaign Finance

2 INTEREST GROUPS Criticisms: 1.Interest groups push their own agenda, which is not always in the best interest of most Americans. 2. Better organized + better funded = more influence. ($ may not buy congressional votes, but it buys access to a congress member.)

3 Congressional Limitations related to SIG’S: ▪Lobbyists must register with the Federal government. ▪Two year “cooling off” period for former Senators -1 year for former House members before working for a SIG. (“Revolving Door” –leave gov’t, become a lobbyist or key executive in corporations, foundations or universities) ▪Limitations on/disclosure of campaign donations.

4 What industries/SIG’s spend the most on lobbying? According to OpenSecrets.org, the following data was recorded by the Senate Office of Public Records. The top 10 industries for 2014 were: MILLIONS!!! Pharmaceuticals/Health Products - $65,420,126 Insurance - $40,008,093 Electric Utilities - $38,288,418 Computers/Internet - $35,597,059 Business Associations - $35,448,590 Oil & Gas - $33,880,219 TV/Movies/Music - $28,511,338 Securities & Investment - $26,670,959 Misc. Manufacturing & Distributing - $23,650,110 Hospitals/Nursing Homes - $21,985,808OpenSecrets.org, http://dc.about.com/od/jobs/a/Lobbying.htm

5 Campaign Finance: FYI… U.S. Senate seat now costs $10.5 million to win, on average, while US House seat costs, $1.7 million average of $14,351 every day between Jan. 1 2010 and election day, 2012 in order to pull of a win in Senate, while the victorious House members raised $2,315 per day

6 Observations? *=Pres. Elections

7 How much was spent on 2012 Presidential Race? https://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/ OpenSecrets.org is a nonpartisan guide to money's influence on U.S. elections and public policy.

8 Currently, who is spending more…Dems or Reps? http://www.reporternews.com/decodedc/the-most-interesting-aspect-of-the-2014-mid-term-elections-the-2016-elections Total number of dollars spent this year (2014) on Midterm campaigns. $800,000,000 million+

9 Sources of Campaign Money Presidential candidates-part private donors and part from Fed. Gov’t (Gov’t matches what they raise up to $250 per person (after $5000 raised from 20 states) Congressional Candidates – all from private parties PACS can five up to $5000 to a presidential candidate. How much can I contribute? http://www.fec.gov/ans/answers_general.shtml#How_much_can_I_contribute http://www.fec.gov/ans/answers_general.shtml#How_much_can_I_contribute

10 Brief History of Campaign Finance Reform: FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION (FEC): Established in 1975 following Watergate. Administers and enforces Federal campaign finance laws. Requires disclosure of all expenses/set limits PACs can spend “unlimited amounts” Buckley v. Valeo, 1976 Money = Freedom of Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d-bYU2cZ48https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d-bYU2cZ48 3 minutes

11 PAC (Political Action Committee) = group set up by a corporation, labor union or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations. ● SIGs give 100 times more $ to incumbents in the House =investment in the future (incumbents win almost 90% of elections.) ● Traditionally: ● Labor PAC’s give to Democrats ● Business PAC’s favor Republicans

12 PAC $ Top Recipients 2013-2014

13 Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act: (McCain-Feingold) 2002 Banned PACs from running ads 60 days before and election, 30 days before a primary. Bans “soft money” = $ given to the party rather than a specific candidate. LIMIT INFLUENCE OF PACS…

14 527’s and 501’s (named for the tax code #) come about= PAC’s by another name…run issue oriented ads 527’s = loophole for non-coordinated groups to put out good or bad info about candidates. Candidate Y runs an ad that says, Candidate X has a record that includes awful things. If these awful things continue, people will come to your house, steal your money and shoot your dog. Be sure to vote on election day.” Because the ad “educates” people on an issue and doesn’t tell them to vote for a particular candidate, it is party building and can be paid for with soft money.

15 SUPREME COURT CASE: Citizens United v. FEC 2010 (Conservative Lobbyists v. Federal Election Commission) Corporations (are like citizens), unions and other special interests have a constitutional right (FIRST AMENDMENT -protects political speech) to spend as much as they like to advocate the election or defeat of political candidates Video: Hip Hughes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcnkgDHU9I8 15 min. Video: Hip Hughes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcnkgDHU9I8 Start at 7:40- Citizens United

16 2010 Super PAC is born (Independent Expenditure Only Committee) raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. prohibited from donating money directly to political candidates. As of October 14, 2014, 1,209 groups organized as Super PACs have reported total receipts of $367,450,272 and total independent expenditures of $204,504,470 in the 2014 cycle.

17 What is a Super PAC (2 min video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQ37z m7-uU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQ37z m7-uU

18 Comedian Stephan Colbert SUPER PAC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auq SELPyNSohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auq SELPyNSo 2 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu yYBE0mD-shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu yYBE0mD-s 8 min.

19 Oh, Super PACs! A music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMvG54 GjtRI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMvG54 GjtRI 3 minutes

20 McCutcheon v. FEC 2014 Alabama Businessman -Republican ($21.5 billion net worth) v. Federal Election Commission Continue limits on donations to a single candidate, currently $5,200 ($2,600 each for a primary and general election), but said the law cannot restrict the number of candidates to whom a donor can contribute. (Freedom of Speech -1 st Amendment) an individual donor who elects to give the maximum to every presidential, House and Senate candidate and party committee could spend up to $3.6 million per election cycle!! Keith Hughes explains - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq2yRLcrYkw 6 min. Keith Hughes explains - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq2yRLcrYkw

21 Campaign Finance Timeline http://www.infoplease.com/us/history/campaign-finance-reform-timeline.html

22 What does all this $ buy? Buys votes? Buys access? (undue influence?) Buys favors? Quid pro quo -"something for something" (Earmarks: a provision in a law that provides a direct benefit to a client - SIG)? To be continued…..in Unit 4(Congress)

23 A video that also explains Campaign Finance (if needed as another resource) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jldr_ZrL8 y4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jldr_ZrL8 y4

Download ppt "Campaign Finance. INTEREST GROUPS Criticisms: 1.Interest groups push their own agenda, which is not always in the best interest of most Americans. 2."

Similar presentations

The Federal Election Commission and campaign finance Regulation

The Federal Election Commission and campaign finance Regulation
Nature of Modern Campaigns Most electoral contests are similar in a number of ways. Nomination campaign aimed at winning primary. General election campaign.

Nature of Modern Campaigns Most electoral contests are similar in a number of ways. Nomination campaign aimed at winning primary. General election campaign.
ELECTION SPEAK *Air war *Lame duck *Lobbyists *Mudslinging *Attack ads *Swing states, swing voters *Spin *Super PACs.

ELECTION SPEAK *Air war *Lame duck *Lobbyists *Mudslinging *Attack ads *Swing states, swing voters *Spin *Super PACs.
Unit 3.2: Electoral Process

Unit 3.2: Electoral Process
ELECTING THE PRES. CHAPTER 10. I. The Preliminaries (4 years) A.All Candidates have to do three things 1. Establish record 2. Develop power base 3. Strategy.

ELECTING THE PRES. CHAPTER 10. I. The Preliminaries (4 years) A.All Candidates have to do three things 1. Establish record 2. Develop power base 3. Strategy.
Money and Politics Reference Ch 7.3.

Money and Politics Reference Ch 7.3.
Campaign Finance. 1972/1974 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) Creates the FEC –federal election commission to regulate, oversee and enforce campaign.

Campaign Finance. 1972/1974 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) Creates the FEC –federal election commission to regulate, oversee and enforce campaign.
Campaign Finance 101 What is the difference between hard money and soft money? What is FECA? What is the BCRA? Why is campaign finance so controversial?

Campaign Finance 101 What is the difference between hard money and soft money? What is FECA? What is the BCRA? Why is campaign finance so controversial?
Campaign Finance Federal Election Campaign Act Buckley v. Valeo

Campaign Finance Federal Election Campaign Act Buckley v. Valeo
ISSUES Contributions: From what sources does money come? Where does it go? Should amounts be controlled? Expenditures: What can different “players” in.

ISSUES Contributions: From what sources does money come? Where does it go? Should amounts be controlled? Expenditures: What can different “players” in.
Section 1—The Nominating Process Money and the Election Process  The great paradox of modern elections: Money is a corrupting influence but candidates.

Section 1—The Nominating Process Money and the Election Process  The great paradox of modern elections: Money is a corrupting influence but candidates.
Money and Elections Running for office costs a lot of money.

Money and Elections Running for office costs a lot of money.
As you read… Annotate the text. Be Prepared to Discuss: What did you find most shocking about campaign finance? How are interest groups connected to or.

As you read… Annotate the text. Be Prepared to Discuss: What did you find most shocking about campaign finance? How are interest groups connected to or.
THE CAMPAIGN PROCESS Chapter 12 O’Connor and Sabato

THE CAMPAIGN PROCESS Chapter 12 O’Connor and Sabato
Campaign Finance. Why is money necessary to political campaigns? Why is money in campaigns problematic for representative democracy? Can we restrict money.

Campaign Finance. Why is money necessary to political campaigns? Why is money in campaigns problematic for representative democracy? Can we restrict money.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE. MONEY Politicians need money to win elections. 2000 election cost over $1.1 billion!

CAMPAIGN FINANCE. MONEY Politicians need money to win elections election cost over $1.1 billion!
Financing Campaigns. Running for office is very expensive; for example, presidential candidates spend about 1 billion dollars each in the 2012 election.

Financing Campaigns. Running for office is very expensive; for example, presidential candidates spend about 1 billion dollars each in the 2012 election.
* Independent Expenditures – spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions to help a party or candidate but done independently.

* Independent Expenditures – spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions to help a party or candidate but done independently.
* A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations. * PAC must give.

* A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations. * PAC must give.
Election Reform and Campaign Finance Reform. I. The Primary Process A.Major criticism has been directed at the media hype of the Iowa Caucus and the New.

Election Reform and Campaign Finance Reform. I. The Primary Process A.Major criticism has been directed at the media hype of the Iowa Caucus and the New.

Similar presentations

Ads by Google