Glossary Definition:

Soft Money: Soft money is money or anything of value that is given or spent for federal election purposes outside of federal contribution limits, source restrictions, and disclosure requirements. Prior to the adoption of BCRA, soft money was the term used to refer to the non-federal monies raised by party committees and used to pay a share of the costs of federal-election-related activities. National parties were banned from receiving or using soft money under BCRA. After BCRA, the most controversial form of soft money has been the monies donated to section 527 tax exempt political organizations not registered as federal political committees which engage in independent activity to influence federal elections.

Statutes and/or Regulations:

See Generally: Part 300 - Non-Federal Funds

Federal/Non-Federal Election Financing by Party Committee: 11 C.F.R. §§ 102.5, 104.17, 106.1(e), 106.5

Raising and Spending of Non-Federal Funds by a National Party Committee: 11 C.F.R. §§ 300.10, 300.50

Commentary:

Three articles recently describe this campaign season's flourishing political party fundraising under McCain-Feingold: Click here for the Atlantic Monthly article. Click here for the Wall Street Journal article. Click here for the Washington Post article.

Recent Developments in Campaign Finance Regulation, The Brookings Institution

Ch 6. Campaign Finance Reform: A Source Book, The Brookings Institution

"Background on 'Soft Money," The Center for Responsive Politics

"The Rise and Demise of Soft Money," The Center for Responsive Politics

"Campaign Finance eGuide: Soft Money," The Campaign Finance Institute

"FEC Regulations for the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act: Soft Money eGuide - Issues and Controversies," The Campaign Finance Institute

Reports:

"Campaign Finance: Constitutional and Legal Issues of Soft Money," by L. Paige Whitaker, Congressional Research Service, July 23, 2004.

527s Not Filling Soft Money Gap, The Center for Responsive Politics