Simone Lawson
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) in the United States. The FEC maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. The Act requires candidates for president, Senate, and the House of Representatives to report the names of individuals and organizations contributing to their campaigns, as well as the amounts. The FEC publishes Federal Elections, a compilation of official federal election results, and has exclusive jurisdiction over the civil enforcement of federal campaign finance law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the agency | Federal Election Commission (FEC) |
| Year of establishment | 1979 |
| Type of body | Independent regulatory body |
| Purpose | Enforces finance law and Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA) |
| Jurisdiction | Civil enforcement of federal campaign finance law |
| Database | Maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees |
| Search parameters | Individual contributors can be searched by name, employer, occupation, location, contribution date, and amount |
| Reporting requirements | Candidates for president, Senate, and the House of Representatives must report names of contributors and amounts |
| Joint fundraising | Requires agreement on allocation formula, separate account for joint fundraising, and notification of the public on allocation |
| Transparency groups | OpenSecrets, a non-profit group, tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and policy |
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What You'll Learn
The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
In addition to enforcing contribution limits and prohibitions, the FEC also oversees the public funding of presidential elections. The commission is led by six commissioners who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The chair of the commission rotates among the commissioners each year, with no commissioner serving as chair more than once during a six-year term.
The FEC has faced criticism for its membership structure, which has led to frequent deadlocks on 3-3 votes. From 2008 to August 2014, the FEC recorded over 200 tie votes, representing approximately 14% of all votes in enforcement matters. This deadlock has resulted in some controversial investigations not being pursued.
Despite the criticisms, the FEC plays a crucial role in ensuring transparency and compliance in political campaign financing. The commission provides legal resources, campaign finance data, and guidance to candidates and committees. The FEC also works to educate the public about the federal campaign finance process, allowing citizens to trace donations to politicians and political committees at the federal and state levels.
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Limits on individual and organisation donations
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA), which limits the amount of money individuals and political organisations can contribute to a candidate running for federal office. The FEC also requires candidates for president, Senate, and the House of Representatives to disclose the names of individuals and organisations contributing to their campaigns, as well as the amounts contributed.
While candidates can spend unlimited amounts of their own money on their campaigns, they must report these amounts to the FEC. Additionally, the FEC differentiates between designated and undesignated contributions. Designated contributions are those that are earmarked for a specific election, while undesignated contributions are made without specifying the election they are intended for. It is recommended that campaigns encourage contributors to designate their donations for specific elections to ensure compliance with contribution limits.
The FEC also specifies that the entire amount spent on a political fundraiser or fundraising item, such as a campaign t-shirt, counts as a contribution, even if the item itself costs less. In-kind contributions, such as donating a personal computer, are valued at the market price at the time of contribution. The FEC also outlines rules for joint fundraising, where multiple political committees or unregistered organisations work together to raise funds.
Independent-expenditure-only political committees, often referred to as "Super PACs", are permitted to accept unlimited contributions, including from corporations and labour organisations. However, regular PACs, which are committees that contribute to other federal political committees, are subject to contribution limits. These limits are updated every two years by the FEC to account for inflation.
Groups like OpenSecrets, a non-partisan research organisation, track money in politics and provide data and analysis to promote transparency and strengthen democracy. They offer insights into campaign finance trends, lobbying efforts, and the influence of industries and special interest groups on policies and elections.
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Joint fundraising
In the United States, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA), which limits the amount of money individuals and political organisations can donate to a candidate running for federal office.
Before a joint fundraising event, participants must:
- Create or select a federal political committee to act as the joint fundraising representative
- Agree to a formula for allocating proceeds and expenses
- Sign a written agreement naming the joint fundraising representative and stating the allocation formula
- Establish a separate account for joint fundraising receipts and disbursements
- Notify the public of the allocation formula and certain other information when soliciting contributions
- Screen contributions to make sure they comply with the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act
- Report allocated proceeds and expenses (applies to political committees only)
The fundraising representative must report all disbursements made for the joint fundraiser in the reporting period in which they are made.
National party committees may not participate in any joint fundraiser where nonfederal or Levin funds are raised.
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Tracing donations
However, for small donations of $50 or less, campaigns are not required to collect any identifying information about the donor, and state candidates' reporting requirements may vary based on state laws. For instance, campaigns may not need to disclose donor identities for small-dollar contributions under $50–$100. As such, it may be easier to utilise the services of a non-profit, non-partisan organisation such as OpenSecrets (formerly the Center for Responsive Politics), which has been tracking money in US politics since 1983. OpenSecrets compiles data on campaign contributions and lobbying activity from thousands of corporations, trade associations, labour unions, nonprofits, and advocacy groups. Its website offers a searchable campaign donation database that can be sorted by recipient or donor data, including occupation, employer, or zip code. It also provides a Get Local! tool, which allows users to select a candidate's state and pull up reports by donor, candidate, metro area, and more.
Additionally, FollowTheMoney.org, run by the National Institute on Money in Politics, offers a tool for tracking donations to state and local campaigns. Users can select a state from a map and narrow down donation details for specific races by selecting the office type. It also features a search bar that allows users to look up an individual's contributions and received funds if they are a candidate. State-level campaign finance data on FollowTheMoney.org is sourced from state agencies, while information on 527 committees comes from the Internal Revenue Service, and travel and personal financial disclosures are gathered from various information collectors in Congress.
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Campaign finance reports
FEC.gov enables users to delve into the intricacies of campaign financing. It provides access to financial disclosure reports submitted by presidential candidates, offering transaction-level data for in-depth research. The website also sheds light on the types of contributions, including monetary donations, personal assets, and joint fundraising efforts. For instance, the value of donated items, such as computers, is assessed based on their market price at the time of contribution.
Additionally, the site helps users understand the nuances of joint fundraising. This involves election-related fundraising conducted jointly by multiple political committees or unregistered organizations. To ensure compliance, committees must establish a designated fundraising representative, agree on a formula for allocating proceeds and expenses, and maintain separate accounts for joint fundraising receipts and disbursements.
Beyond the FEC, organizations like OpenSecrets play a pivotal role in promoting transparency. OpenSecrets, a non-partisan research group, has been operating since 1983, funded by grants, individual contributions, and revenue from research fees. The organization tracks money in politics, including lobbying activities, and provides insights into how industries and special interest groups influence policies through financial contributions. OpenSecrets offers data on campaign contributions, lobbying expenditures, and the impact of "dark money" on political decisions.
By leveraging resources like FEC.gov and OpenSecrets, citizens can stay informed about the financial dynamics of politics. These campaign finance reports empower individuals to make educated decisions, hold politicians accountable, and safeguard the integrity of the democratic process.
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Frequently asked questions
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (FECA). The FEC administers federal campaign finance laws.
The FEC enforces finance law in the United States. It limits the amount of money individuals and political organizations can donate to a candidate running for federal office. It also requires candidates for president, Senate, and the House of Representatives to disclose the names of individuals and organizations contributing to their campaigns, as well as the amounts contributed.
The FEC maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. The database includes information such as the contributor's name, employer or occupation, and the date and amount of the contribution. The FEC also has exclusive jurisdiction over the civil enforcement of federal campaign finance law and can handle enforcement cases that come from audits, complaints, or referrals from other government agencies.
Yes, OpenSecrets is a non-partisan research and government transparency group that tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and policy. They provide data on campaign contributions and lobbying activity from corporations, trade associations, labor unions, nonprofits, and other advocacy groups.
