Running a campaign is not cheap and funding for campaigns comes from many sources. The danger in our electoral system is that the wealthy institutions, corporations, or individuals might "buy" the election. How to prevent this from happening has become a serious debate.
In 1974 Congress passed the Federal Election Campaign Act to:
Tighten reporting requirements for contributions.
Limit overall expenditures by campaigns.
Click on the provisions of the act to learn more about each one.
Candidates who raise at least $5,000 in 20 states are eligible for matching federal funds; by taking federal funds the candidates agree to limit their expenditures
Limited the amount of individual contributions to candidates to $1,000; the amount was increased by the McCain-Feingold Act to $2,000 in 2004 and adjusts for inflation in the future
