Glossary Definition:

Federal Election Commission: The federal agency responsible for administering and enforcing most federal campaign finance laws. The FEC was created by the 1974 FECA Amendments and the method of appointing Federal Election Commissioners was modified by the 1976 FECA Amendments.

Statutes and/or Regulations:

Federal Election Commission: 2 U.S.C. § 437(c)

Powers of Commission: 2 U.S.C. § 437(d)

Advisory Opinions: 2 U.S.C. § 437(f)

Enforcement: 2 U.S.C. § 437(g)

Judicial Review: 2 U.S.C. § 437(h)

Related Forms:

FEC Statement of Organization for PACs: Form 1 and Instructions

FEC Notification of Multicandidate Status for PACs: Form 1M and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form for Candidate Committees of House and Senate Candidates: Form 3 and Instructions

FEC Post-Election Detailed Summary for Form 3: Form and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form for Candidate Committees of Presidential Candidates: Form 3P and Instructions

FEC Post-Election Detailed Summary for Form 3P: Form and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form for PACs: Form 3X and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form to Report Independent Expenditures: Form 5 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form to Report Candidate Committee Last-Minute Receipts of $1,000 or More: Form 6 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form to Report Communications Costs by Corporations and Membership Organizations: Form 7 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form Filed by Committees Attempting to Settle Debt for Less than Full Amount Owed: Form 8 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form to Report Electioneering Communications: Form 9 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form Filed by Candidates to Disclose Personal Expenditures Exceeding Certain Threshold Limits: Form 10 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form Filed by Candidates to Disclose Their Opposition Personal Funds Amount: Form 11 and Instructions

FEC Disclosure Form Filed by Candidates to Give Notice of Suspension of Increased Limits: Form 12 and Instructions

Commentary:

"Lessons Learned from McConnell v. FEC: An Analysis by Key Participants in this Historic Supreme Court Case," the Campaign Legal Center

Campaign Finance Reform Sourcebook The Brookings Institution

Enforcing the Campaign Finance Laws: An Agency Model The Center for Responsive Politics

About the FEC The Federal Election Commission

Reports:

"No Bark, No Bite, No Point: The Case for Closing the Federal Election Commission and Establishing a New System for Enforcing the Nation's Campaign Finance Laws," Democracy 21

Other General Reference Materials: