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Soft money is a way for donors to give money to political parties without breaking federal laws that limit donations to individual candidates. It can be used for party-building expenses, such as campaign ads, voter registration drives, and administrative costs. Soft money is not restricted by federal law, making it a loophole for wealthy donors to buy influence. Political parties use soft money as their primary source of campaign fundraising.
When it comes to political campaign contributions in the United States, the major players always seem to be looking for loopholes. In many cases, they don’t have to look very far. One of the simplest ways to give more support to a candidate without arousing suspicion or breaking any laws is to donate what is called soft money. Unlike so-called hard money, easy money goes to a particular political party rather than being donated directly to a specific candidate. It is not intended to be used for one candidate, but strictly for the party as a whole.
The difference between soft money and hard money
In the United States, money given to a candidate, called hard money, is governed by federal laws that limit the amount of money a person can give to a candidate. Hard money is strictly controlled by the Federal Election Commission. Soft money, on the other hand, isn’t restricted by federal law. This allows donors to contribute much larger sums of money to a candidate’s party than the candidate himself.
Purpose of Soft Money
Easy money is supposed to be spent on particular purposes, such as campaign ads supporting an entire political party. It can also be used for voter registration drives or “get out and vote” campaigns, yard signs, party t-shirts and bumper stickers. Soft money can also be used for advertisements that discuss specific political issues or the party’s platform. The idea behind soft money is for advance party building and party base gathering.
In some cases, the money can also be used for other expenses, including administrative costs. These costs could include purchasing office supplies, paying rent and utilities for the campaign’s general offices, and many other mundane expenses. This money isn’t used for anything particularly exciting to observers, such as political campaigns against another party’s candidates, so uses for soft money are often overlooked.
Considered a cop-out by some people
At one time, it was permissible to donate almost unlimited amounts of money to political parties through the soft money loophole. While campaign finance reform legislation is said to no longer leave that amount unlimited, the soft money loophole still allows wealthy taxpayers to donate large amounts of money. Many people see this as a way for wealthy taxpayers to buy influence without being held accountable.
Great source of funding for political parties
Federal election laws have done little to control the giving or spending of soft money, so political parties tend to use it as their primary source of campaign fundraising. Large sums of money are being raised long before contributions are made solely to individual applicants. It’s also true that spending light money to alleviate certain costs still frees up more money for a political party to spend on specific candidates. The distinction between soft money and regular campaign contributions can sometimes be a complicated process, which could lead to impropriety or scandal.
