In US politics, what term historically referred to donations to political parties that were largely exempt from federal contribution limits?
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Soft money
Soft money refers to funds raised outside the limits and prohibitions of federal campaign finance law, traditionally intended for general "party-building" activities. Unlike "hard money" given directly to candidates, these donations were once unlimited, leading to concerns about corporate and union influence. The 2002 McCain-Feingold Act famously sought to ban this practice at the national level to increase transparency in election spending.
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- Historically in US politics, what term referred to donations outside federal contribution limits that were given to political parties for party-building activities?