ABSTRACT
Campaign money is playing an ever larger role in elections. Running for office in competitive districts is much more expensive today; candidates and their campaigns have to work much harder and longer to raise funds. Technology has helped, with the growing use of online fundraising. Thanks to changes in the federal campaign finance laws, outside groups were no longer permitted to use soft money to promote independent advocacy, but they soon discovered other means to channel money into campaigns. From 1974 through 2002, federal campaign financing was controlled by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971, as substantially amended in 1974. Since then, federal campaigns have been controlled by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002. In 1996, presidential candidates were just beginning to use the Internet to raise campaign funds. Bob Dole raised less than $100,000 online, but this was more than was raised online by incumbent president Bill Clinton.
