ABSTRACT
For the academic community, political communication is an exercise in the democratic process in which different ideas compete for public support. Not surprisingly, money is a pivotal factor in the consulting role, while it is often criticized by the academic community. Consultants focus on bending the constantly changing rules of the game so they can simultaneously do a more effective job for their clients and make more money for themselves. A sometimes overlooked aspect of political communication is the rhetorical effect that money has on the campaign. Modern campaigns play by a sophisticated, complicated, and often confusing set of rules. Federal candidates must adhere to federal laws that are monitored by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). For years, federal law limited contributions for federal elections—campaigns for president, US senator, and US representative—to $1,000 from individuals and $5,000 from political action committees (PACs).
