Campaign Finance Glossary

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Advisory Opinion

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A formal ruling from the FEC regarding the legality of a specific activity proposed in an advisory opinion request.

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Authorized Committee

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Any political committee, including the principal campaign committee, authorized in writing by a federal candidate to receive contributions and make expenditures on his or her behalf. Also called candidate or campaign comittees.

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Charitable Organization (IRS 501(c)(3))

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Organized and operated exclusively for an exempt purpose--charitable, religious, educational, scientific, etc. Absolutely prohibited from political campaign activity; lobbying cannot be a substantial activity of the organization; general advocacy permitted as an educational activity.

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Connected Organization

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An organization that uses its treasury funds to establish, administer or solicit contributions to a separate segregated fund.

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Contribution

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A payment, service or anything of value given to influence a federal election; or the payment by any person of compensation to another person if those services are rendered without charge to a political committee for any purpose.

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Coordinated

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Made in cooperation, consultation or concert with or at the request or suggestion of a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee or their agents, or a political party committee or its agents. Ex: coordinated communications, coordinated party expenditures.

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Electioneering Communication

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Any broadcast, cable or satellite communication that (1) refers to a clearly identified candidate for federal office; (2) is publicly distributed within certain time periods before an election and (3) is targeted to the relevant electorate.Corporations and labor organizations may make an electioneering communication, as defined in 11 CFR 100.29 , to those outside the restricted class unless the communication is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a clearly identified Federal candidate. [11 CFR 114.15]. Citizens United v FEC (2010) invalidated expenditure ban but not reporting requirements for Electioneering Communications.

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Expenditure

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Any purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, or gift of money or anything of value, made by any person for the purpose of influencing any election for Federal office; and a written contract, promise, or agreement to make an expenditure.

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Express Advocacy

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Any communication that,(a) Uses phrases such as “vote for the President,” “re-elect your Congressman,” “support the Democratic nominee,” “cast your ballot for the Republican challenger for U.S. Senate in Georgia,” “Smith for Congress,” “Bill McKay in '94,” “vote Pro-Life” or “vote Pro-Choice” accompanied by a listing of clearly identified candidates described as Pro-Life or Pro-Choice, “vote against Old Hickory,” “defeat” accompanied by a picture of one or more candidate(s), “reject the incumbent,” or communications of campaign slogan(s) or individual word(s), which in context can have no other reasonable meaning than to urge the election or defeat of one or more clearly identified candidate(s), such as posters, bumper stickers, advertisements, etc. which say “Nixon's the One,” “Carter '76,” “Reagan/Bush” or “Mondale!”; or(b) When taken as a whole and with limited reference to external events, such as the proximity to the election, could only be interpreted by a reasonable person as containing advocacy of the election or defeat of one or more clearly identified candidate(s) because—(1) The electoral portion of the communication is unmistakable, unambiguous, and suggestive of only one meaning; and(2) Reasonable minds could not differ as to whether it encourages actions to elect or defeat one or more clearly identified candidate(s) or encourages some other kind of action.11 CFR § 100.22

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Federal Election Activity

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Activity by entities, including state, district and local party committees, which may be paid for with federal or – in the case of the first two types – a combination of federal and Levin funds.The four types of federal election activity are as follows: 1) Voter registration activity during the period 120 days before a primary or general election and ending on election day itself; 2) Voter identification, get-out-the-vote and generic campaign activity conducted in connection with an election in which a federal candidate appears on the ballot; 3) A public communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate for federal office and that promotes, attacks, supports or opposes any candidate for federal office. The communication does not need to expressly advocate the election or defeat of the federal candidate to qualify as federal election activity; and 4) Services provided during a month by an employee of a state, district or local party committee who spends more than 25 percent of his or her compensated time during that month on activities in connection with a federal election including FEA.

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Voter Registration Activity

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Contacting individuals by telephone, in person or by other individualized means in order to assist them in registering to vote. This activity includes, but is not limited to, printing and distributing registration and voting information, providing individuals with registration forms and assisting individuals with completing and filing these forms.

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Voter Identification

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Acquiring information about potential voters, including, but not limited to, obtaining voter lists and creating or enhancing voter lists by verifying or adding information about the voters’ likelihood of voting in an upcoming election or voting for specific candidates.

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Get-Out-The-Vote Activity

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contacting registered voters by telephone, in person or by other individualized means to assist them in voting. This activity includes, but is not limited to, providing individual voters with information such as the date of the election, when and where polling places are open, the location of the polling places and transporting or offering to transport voters to polling places

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Generic Campaign Activity

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A type of federal election activity, as distinguished from voter drive activity. Generic campaign activity is a public communication that promotes or opposes a political party and does not promote or oppose a clearly identified candidate or a nonfederal candidate

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Federal Funds

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"Hard Money"; Funds that comply with the limits, prohibitions and reporting requirements of federal law. Corporations, unions, foreign nationals, national banks and federal government contractors are prohibited from making contributions or expenditures in connection with a federal election. Permissible sources of funds for contributions to federal political committees include individuals and entities that are not otherwise prohibited (e.g., political action committees).

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Identifiable Candidate

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A "clearly identified candidate" is one whose name, nickname, photograph or drawing appears, or whose identity is apparent through unambiguous reference, such as "your Congressman," or through an unambiguous reference to his or her status as a candidate, such as "the Democratic presidential nominee" or "Republican candidate for Senate in this state."

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Independent Expenditures

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An expenditure for a communication expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidate’s authorized committee, or their agents, or a political party or its agents.

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In-Kind Contribution

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A contribution of goods, services or property offered free or at less than the usual and normal charge.

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Leadership PAC

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A political committee that is directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by a federal candidate or officeholder which is neither an authorized committee nor affiliated with the candidate’s authorized committee.

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Levin Funds

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A category of funds raised by state, district and local party committees that may be spent for certain federal election activities. Levin funds are donations from sources ordinarily prohibited by federal law but permitted by state law.

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Multicandidate Committee

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A political committee that has been registered at least 6 months, has more than 50 contributors and, with the exception of state party committees, has made contributions to at least 5 candidates for federal office. Most Political Action Committees are “multicandidate” committees.

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Nonconnected Committee

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Any committee that conducts activities in connection with an election but which is not established or administered by a candidate, political party, corporation or labor organization.

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Nonfederal Funds

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"Soft Money"; funds that are not subject to the limitations or prohibitions of the Act.

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Party Committee

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A political committee that represents a political party and is part of the official party structure at the national, state or local level.

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Political Action Committee (PAC)

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Popular term for a political committee that is neither a party committee nor an authorized committee of a candidate. PACs sponsored by a corporation or labor organization are called separate segregated funds; PACs without a corporate or labor sponsor are called nonconnected PACs.

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Political Committee

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A group that meets one of the following conditions:

An authorized committee of a candidate (see definition of candidate).

A state party committee or nonparty committee, club, association or other group of persons that receives contributions or makes expenditures, either of which aggregate over $1,000 during a calendar year.

A local unit of a political party (except a state party committee) that: (1) receives contributions aggregating over $5,000 during a calendar year; (2) makes contributions or expenditures either of which aggregate over $1,000 during a calendar year; or (3) makes payments aggregating over $5,000 during a calendar year for certain activities which are exempt from the definitions of contribution and expenditure

Any separate segregated fund upon its establishment.

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Principal Campaign Committee (PCC)

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An authorized committee designated by a candidate as the principal committee to raise contributions and make expenditures for his or her campaign for a federal office.

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Public Communication

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A communication by means of any broadcast, cable or satellite communication, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility, mass mailing or telephone bank to the general public, or any other form of general public political advertising." [Communications over the Internet are not public communications unless the communications are placed for a fee on another person’s web site]

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Political Campaign Activity (IRS)

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Any activities that favor or oppose candidates for public office, including:

Endorsements of candidates

Contributions

-To candidates

-To PACs

Public statements for/against a particular candidate

Distributing materials prepared by self or others that favor or oppose candidates

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Political Organization (IRS: 527)

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An organization that is organized and operated primarily for the purpose of directly or indirectly accepting contributions or making expenditures to influence the selection, nomination, election or appointment of any individual to Federal, State, or local public office, office in political party, or Presidential electors. Permitted to take part in political campaign activity, nonsubstantial lobbying, and nonsubstantial general advocacy.

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Restricted Class

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The executive and administrative personnel, members and stockholders (and the families of each) of a corporation or labor organization.

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Separate Segregated Fund (SSF)

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A political committee established by a corporation or labor organization, popularly called a corporate or labor PAC.

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Social Welfare Organization (IRS: 501(c)(4))

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Organized as a non-profit and operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare--promoting the common good and general welfare of the people in the community. Permitted to take part in political campaign activity so long as it does not constitute the organization's primary activity and to unlimited lobbying and advocacy.