Campaign finance laws aim to prevent individuals or groups from using their wealth to gain undue influence over elected officials, thereby preserving the integrity of the electoral process.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that enforces campaign finance laws and regulations.

Self-financing refers to the practice of using personal wealth to fund one's own political campaign, rather than relying on donations from external sources.

The maximum amount an individual can contribute to a federal candidate's campaign is $2,900 per election cycle, which includes both the primary and general elections.

A Super PAC is a political action committee (PAC) that is not affiliated with a particular candidate or party and can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on independent expenditures.

An independent expenditure is a type of political spending that is not coordinated with a candidate's campaign and is made by an individual, group, or organization that is not affiliated with the candidate.

Misappropriation of funds refers to the practice of using campaign funds for personal use, such as paying for personal expenses or enriching oneself.

Bundling refers to the practice of collecting campaign contributions from multiple donors and then donating them to a candidate or political party in a single lump sum.

Hard money refers to campaign contributions that are subject to federal contribution limits and can be used for a variety of campaign activities, including advertising, staff salaries, and travel expenses.

Soft money refers to campaign contributions that are not subject to federal contribution limits and can be used for a variety of political activities, such as voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote efforts, and party-building activities.

A corporate PAC contribution is a type of political spending that is made by a corporation or labor union through its political action committee (PAC).

A 501(c)(4) contribution is a type of political spending that is made by a non-profit organization that is not subject to federal contribution limits.

A foreign national contribution is a type of political spending that is made by an individual who is not a U.S. citizen.

A family contribution is a type of political spending that is made by a candidate's family members, such as their spouse, children, or parents.

A candidate committee contribution is a type of political spending that is made by a candidate's campaign committee.