Coordinated Party Expenditures in Federal Elections: An Overview

Publication Date: April 2007

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Politics

Type:

Abstract:

A provision of federal campaign finance law, codified at 2 U.S.C. section 441a(d), allows political party committees to make expenditures on behalf of their general election candidates for federal office and specifies limits on such spending. These expenditures, often called "coordinated party expenditures," are important not only because they provide financial support to campaigns, but also because parties and campaigns may explicitly discuss how the money will be spent. Although they have long been the major source of direct party financial support for campaigns, coordinated expenditures have recently been overshadowed by indirect aid via independent expenditures. Those who support limits on coordinated party expenditures argue that the limits help reduce potential corruption and the amount of money in politics. Opponents maintain that they limit parties' and campaigns' ability to communicate and are antiquated, particularly because political parties may make unlimited independent expenditures supporting their candidates. This report will be updated as events warrant.