Dictionary | cam·paign·ar·y

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

A 1971 law that governs the financing of federal elections, the Federal Election Campaign Act was amended in 1974, 1976 and 1979. The act requires candidates and political committees to disclose the sources of their funding and how they spend their money; it regulates the contributions received and expenditures made during federal election campaigns; and it governs the public funding of presidential elections. Read more about Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

This independent regulatory agency is charged with administering and enforcing federal campaign finance law. The FEC consists of six commissioners appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. The FEC was established by the 1974 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Read more about Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Front-loading

The practice of scheduling state party caucuses and state primary elections early in the calendar year, well in advance of the general election, is called front-loading. By moving its primary to an early date, a state hopes to lend decisive momentum to its preferred presidential candidate and thus have disproportionate influence on a party’s nomination. Read more about Front-loading

Front-runner

A candidate in any election or nomination process who is considered most popular or most likely to win is called the front-runner. Read more about Front-runner