The Electoral Process

1. The Electoral Process Chapter 7 Section 3 Money and the Election Process

2. Campaign Spending Amounts • Campaigns cost a lot of money to run It is spent primarily on: Radio Television Professional Campaign Managers and consultants Newspaper advertisements Pamphlets Buttons Posters Office rent Polls Mass mailings Travel And more…

3. See page 174 for graph

4. Sources of Campaign Funding Private givers: • Small contributors- those who give $50 or less • Wealthier persons and families- can afford very large donations to candidates • Candidates themselves- Ross Perot spent over $65 million of his own money on 2 failed Presidential campaigns

5. Political Action Committees • PACS • The political arms of special interest groups that have a major stake in public policy • AARP, NEA and NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) • See page 175 for graph • All PACS are good for some people, no PAC is good for all people.

6. Temporary Organizations • Groups formed for the immediate purposes of a campaign • Examples would include Women for Choice for Clinton and Gore Swiftboat Veterans for Truth

7. Why people give • Belief in candidate or party • Want something in return Want certain laws passed or appealed

8. Regulating Campaign Finance Federal Election Commission • Set up by Congress in 1974, the FEC is an independent agency in the executive branch. Six members are appointed by the President with approval of Senate. Enforce the following: Disclosure of Contributions Limits on Contributions Limits on Expenditures Public funding for parts of the Presidential Election Process.

9. Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns • Congress first began public funding of presidential campaigns in 1971. • Everyone who files federal income tax can check off yes or no for public financing. • If you take money, you agree to spending limits

10. Raising Money on the Internet Joe Trippi