论竞选经费制度对美国大选的影响

The Influence of Federal Campaign Finance Law on U.S. Presidential Elections

美国总统选举是金钱游戏 ,2 0 0 0年总统大选竞选经费共支出 30多亿美元 ,创下历史新高。《联邦选举活动法》对政治捐款的数额做出了严格的限制 ,制定了公共基金制度 ,用联邦补助的方式向总统候选人提供经费。“软钱”成为总统竞选筹款中一个特殊的现象。特殊利益集团利用政治行动委员会参与到选举进程中。美国的竞选经费制度对美国大选产生了重大的影响。

U S. presidential elections are a game of money. The amount of campaign funds spent on the presidential elections of the year 2000 adds up to more than 3 billion, reaching a historical high. While the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) places rigid restrictions on the amount of campaign contributions, it also establishes the public funding system to provide money for presidential candidates by way of a special grant. Meanwhile, 'soft money'has emerged as a special phenomenon during presidential election campaigns. Special interest groups can form Political Action Committees (PAC) to support a specific candidate. Federal Campaign Finance Law has been exerting a great influence on U S. presidential elections.