Pendleton Act Answers – Flashcards

-1883 -Banned Federal candidates from requiring that federal employees work on their campaigns or make financial contributions. -Extended the about rule to all federal civil service workers -Previously, government workers were expected to make campaign contributions in order to keep their jobs.

-1905 -President Theodore Roosevelt proposed that "all contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law." -The proposal, however, included no restrictions on campaign contributions from the people who owned and ran corporations. Roosevelt also called for public financing of federal candidates via their political parties.

-1907 -Prohibited corporations and nationally chartered (interstate) banks from making direct financial contributions to federal candidates. However, weak enforcement mechanisms made the Act enforceable.

-1907 -Prohibited corporations and nationally chartered (interstate) banks from making direct financial contributions to federal candidates. However, weak enforcement mechanisms made the Act enforceable.

-1940 -Set limit 5,00 per year on individual contributions to a federal candidate or political committee (but it didnt prevent contributors from giving that amount to multiple committees, each working from the same candidate). -Made Campaign finance regulations applicable to primaries as well as general elections. -Banned contributions to federal candidates from individuals and business working for the federal government

-1943 -Extended to unions the prohibition on contributions to federal candidates from corporations and interstate banks. -following major increase, beginning in 1936, in labors use of union dues to support federal candidates

-1944 -First Political Action Committee (PAC) was formed by Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in 1944 to raise money for re-election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. -Because PAC money came from voluntary contributions from union members, rather than from union treasuries (i.e. union dues), it was not prohibited by the Smith-Connally Act.

-1947 -Made permanent the ban on contributions to federal candidates from unions, corporations, and interstate banks, and extended the prohibition to include primaries as well as general elections.

-1967 -Former Congressman W. Pat Jennings was first Clear of House of Representatives to perform his duty under 1925 Corrupt Practices Act to collect campaign finance reports and to report violators. -However the Justice Department ignored his list of violators.

Repealed Corrupt Practices Act and created comprehensive framework for regulation of federal campaign financing of primaries, runoffs, general elections and conventions. -Required full and timely disclosure -Set ceilings on media advertising unions and corporations to solicit voluntary contributions from members, employees, and stockholders, and allowed union and corporate treasury money to be used for overhead in operating PACs.

-1971 -Companion Legistlation to FECA -Created public campaign fund for eligible presidential candidates (starting with 1976 election) through provision of voluntary one-dollar check off on federal income tax returns -Provided option of $50 tax deduction (for individual filers) for contribution to local, state, or federal candidates (provision eliminated in 1978) or 12.50 tax credit

-1974 -Set up contemporary controversies -Provided option of full public financing for presidential general elections, matching funds for presidential primaries, and public funds for presidential nomination conventions -set spending limits for president primaries and general elections, and for House and Senate primaries -Revision (previously enforced) spending limits for House and Senate general elections. -Created individual contribution limit of $1,000 to a candidate per elections and PAC contribution limit of $5,000 to a candidate per election (triggering PAC boom of late 70s) -Limited aggregate individual contributions to $25,000 per year -Limited candidates personal contributions to their own campaigns -Limited independent expenditures on behalf of a candidate to $1,000 per election -Ended 1940 nan on contributions from individuals and groups working on government contracts -Abolished limits on media adversiting -Created Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer campaign law, with Congress to appoint four of six commissioners

-1976 Restrictions in FECA (as amended in 1974) challanged as unconstitutional violations of free speech -Supreme Court upheld disclosure requirements, limits on individual contributions, and voluntary public financing and affirmed Presidents authority to appoint all six FEC commissioners -Court struck down, as infringement on free speech, limits, on candidate expenditures (unless candidate accepts public financing), limits on contributions by candidates and their families to their own campaigns, and limits on "independent expenditures" (election spending not coordinate with candidates or their committees).

-1976 -Brought FECA into conformity with Buckley decision -Limited individual contribution to national parties to $20,000 per year, and individual contribution to a PAC to $5,000 per year.

-1979 -Increased amount volunteers could contribute in-kind (use of home, food, vehicle) from $500 to $1000 -Raised threshold for reporting contribution from $100 to $200 -Effectively prohibited FEC from conducting random audits -Allowed state and local parties to promote federal candidates by spending unlimited amounts on campaign materials (signs, bumper stickets, etc) use by volunteers and on voter registion and get-out-the vote drives -SOFT MONEY BEGINS