AP®︎ U.S. Government & Politics: Topic 5.11 Flashcards

The raising and spending of money to influence elections and the legal rules governing that activity

Money or another thing of value given to a candidate, party, or political committee, giving the recipient control over its use

Money spent to produce or distribute political communication or otherwise affect an election

Spending that expressly supports or opposes a clearly identified candidate without coordination with the candidate, campaign, or party acting for the candidate

Cooperation between a spender and a campaign over a communication’s message, timing, audience, or placement; coordinated spending can be treated as an in-kind contribution subject to contribution limits

An actual or implied exchange of money for a specific official favor or action

Campaign money raised and spent under federal limits, source restrictions, and disclosure requirements, including direct contributions to federal candidates and traditional PACs

Money formerly raised by political parties outside federal limits for purported nonfederal or party-building activities rather than a specific federal candidate

The federal agency that administers campaign-finance law, receives financial reports, issues regulations and advisory opinions, and investigates alleged violations

Federal law that banned national-party soft money, regulated electioneering communications, and required candidates to approve their authorized broadcast advertisements

A broadcast, cable, or satellite message naming a federal candidate, reaching the relevant electorate, and appearing within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election

BCRA requirement that a candidate identify themself and accept responsibility for an authorized radio or television advertisement: “I’m [name], and I approve this message.”

First Amendment ruling that BCRA could not prohibit corporate or union independent expenditures; direct-contribution bans, disclosure rules, and the national-party soft-money ban remained

An organization that raises and spends money to influence elections, often on behalf of business, labor, ideological, professional, or single-issue interests

A PAC that raises money under federal limits and may make limited direct contributions to candidates as well as spend on political communications

A traditional PAC sponsored by a corporation, labor union, or membership organization and funded for contributions by eligible individuals’ voluntary donations

A traditional PAC not established by a corporation or labor organization that may solicit federally limited contributions from the public

A committee that may raise and spend unlimited funds independently but may not contribute directly to candidates or coordinate expenditures with campaigns

A rule requiring candidates and many political committees to report contributors, receipts, and expenditures to the FEC.

A rule requiring a political communication to identify who paid for it and whether a candidate authorized it

Political spending whose original donors are difficult for the public to identify, often because it passes through organizations that do not disclose all underlying donors