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Political Parties Notes
I. General Terms
A.
Political Party:
B.
Party Platform:
C.
Plank:
D.
Coalition:
E.
Plurality :
F.
Electorate:
II. Voting Protection
A. Amendments prohibit limiting the vote in the following ways or the following reasons:
15th due
to your race, color or previous condition of servitude
17th If
you vote in State elections you vote in Federal
19th If
you’re a women
24th Outlaws
poll tax
26th If
your 18 years of age or older
B. You must reside
in the State and district in which you are voting
C. Voting
Rights Act 1965:
D. Civil
Rights Act 1964:
III.
Voter Behavior
A. Suffrage or
Franchise:
B. Party identification
C. Straight Ticket
voting
D. Gerrymandering:
IV. Nominating
Process
A. Convention:
B. Closed
Primary:
C. Open
primary:
D. Self- announcement:
V. Campaign Contributions
FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW:
New Contribution Limits
On Nov. 6, 2002, the day after the 2002 midterm elections, a new set of campaign finance
laws went into effect. Known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), the law is considered the most sweeping change
of the U.S. campaign finance system in a quarter-century. The crux of the law, which was sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and Reps. Chris Shays (R-Ct.) and Marty Meehan (D-Mass.), is a ban on soft money to the national
political parties. The law also increases the contribution limits for individuals giving to federal candidates and political
parties (details below). For more on the new law, click here. For a look at the hard money requirements for different types of communications, use this table, which summarizes the rules for communications paid for by individuals, political parties, corporations and labor organizations.
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To any candidate committee (per election1) |
To any national party committee (per year) |
To any PAC, state/local party, or other political committee
(per year) |
Aggregate total |
|
Individual can give2: |
Old law:
$1,000 |
$20,000 |
$5,000 |
$25,000 per year |
|
New
law:
$2,000, subject to aggregate
limit3
|
$25,000 per party committee, subject to aggregate limit
|
$10,000 to each state or
local party committee (Levin funds)4
$5,000 to each PAC or other political committee, subject to aggregate limit
|
$95,000 per two-year election cycle as follows:
· $37,500 per
cycle to candidates; and
· $57,500 per cycle to all national party committees and PACs (of which no more than $37,500
per cycle can go to PACs) |
|
Multicandidate committee can give5: |
Old law:
$5,000
|
$15,000 |
$5,000 |
No limit |
|
New
law:
Same |
Same |
Same |
Same |
|
Other political committee can give: |
Old law:
$1,000
|
$20,000 |
$5,000 |
No limit |
|
New
law:
Same |
Same |
Same |
Same |
B. Special
Interest Groups :
C. P.A.C.
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