{"id":351450,"date":"2020-03-17T09:36:44","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T14:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/voting\/how-u-s-elections-work\/u-s-campaign-finance-laws.html"},"modified":"2024-02-21T09:12:34","modified_gmt":"2024-02-21T14:12:34","slug":"u-s-campaign-finance-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/voting\/how-u-s-elections-work\/u-s-campaign-finance-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Campaign Finance Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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U.S. Federal Campaign Finance Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Campaign finance laws determine who can contribute to a candidate’s campaign, how much, and what for.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

Finances have always played a significant role in American politics. Although George Washington did not even campaign for the office of president<\/a> in the first American presidential election, the control and movement of resources was a key issue. Since then, federal political campaigns have only become more complex and expensive.<\/p>\n

As the nation’s size has increased, so has the amount of money in American politics. The U.S. government has tried to regulate the political influence of money to maintain equality during elections. The result is campaign finance laws.<\/p>\n

 Recently, laws have tried to determine if there should be limits on campaign contributions at all.<\/p>\n

A Brief History of Early Campaign Finance Laws<\/h2>\n

The Tillman Act of 1907<\/a> was the first legislation to address federal campaign contributions. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the law, which "prohibit[ed] corporations from making money contributions in connection with political elections." But, because there was no agency to enforce the new regulations, the Tillman Act was more symbolic than useful.<\/p>\n

The Federal Election Campaign Act<\/h3>\n

It wasn’t until 1971, with the passage of the Federal Election Campaign Act<\/a> (FECA), that Congress passed legislation creating an agency to enforce campaign finance laws. The FECA created the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which became active in 1974. Now, the laws had an enforcement agency behind them.<\/p>\n

The FECA established several requirements for campaign contributions and spending. Among other important considerations, the FECA ordered:<\/p>\n