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Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. T.J. Maas Nefertari Carver Mahalakshmi Uma Gopalswami. Research Questions. How will the BCRA change the way money is spent in elections?

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Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

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  1. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 T.J. Maas Nefertari Carver Mahalakshmi Uma Gopalswami

  2. Research Questions • How will the BCRA change the way money is spent in elections? • How will these changes impact the balance of power between various players in the political system? In other words, who wins and who loses as a result of this legislation? Why is Campaign Finance Important? • Raising money takes lots of time and effort in campaigns. • The manner in which money is raised may encourage corruption or the appearance of such. • The effects of this bill will determine how campaigns are run and who wins elections for years to come.

  3. Methods • Conducted general research into campaign finance • Attempted to collect primary source data • Polled Congressional offices via e-mail • Interviewed campaign workers via telephone • Conducted secondary source research

  4. Terminology • Hard Money (pre-BCRA): Regulated contributions from individuals; usually spent on behalf of a specific candidate • Soft Money (pre-BCRA): Unregulated contributions from any source; cannot be spent to explicitly advocate for or against a candidate’s election • Issue Advocacy (pre-BCRA): Ads that highlight a trait or position of a candidate; paid for with soft money; comprises most of the ads seen on television before campaigns • Federal Funds (post-BCRA): Funds or contributions approved for spending on federal elections • Non-Federal Funds (post-BCRA): Only exist at the state level; can be spent freely in regards to state and local elections only; regulated by individual states

  5. Before BCRA

  6. After BCRA

  7. Before the BCRA Swimming in soft money – parties raised over $308 million before 2002 elections 1,569 House candidates raised over $402 million in hard money before 2002 elections Campaign and joint fund raising with local candidates Issue advocacy unchecked After the BCRA Must raise more hard money on your own Must work harder for exposure Must be online Who Wins? Who has the longest mailing list? A famous face or name, especially in poor districts The Way to Capitol Hill

  8. Before the BCRA Over $279 million in soft money raised for state races for 2000 elections The median gubernatorial winner from 1997-2000 spent just under $3 million Campaign and joint fundraising with federal candidates Issue advocacy unchecked After the BCRA Easier to get money, harder to use it? Must be able to run on your own Who Wins? The longest mailing list wins again Best organized campaign Keys to the Mansion

  9. Unresolved Questions • Will the BCRA stand up in court? • How will campaign contributors bypass the new law? • How will these changes actually impact future elections?

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