Financing the 2004 Election

In the wake of recent legislation, court challenges, and demands for reform, campaign finance remains one of the most important and controversial aspects of the world's oldest democracy. Since 1960, Financing the Election volumes have presented reliable information on the costs and trends of campaign finance in the United States. In establishing the parameters of electoral campaigns and political spending —and interpreting the results —Financing the 2004 Election provides a unique resource for readers and citizens interested in the current state of politics and money in America.

Financing the 2004 Election incorporates many of the features that have made previous editions so important. It employs authoritative analysis of spending by interest groups, political parties, and individual candidates, including data that enables examination of long-term trends. The contributors, all eminent political analysts, also examine spending patterns in different types of elections, including Senate and House races.

This timely new volume pays special attention to the effects of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). It contrasts campaign finance in 2004 with the ways in which national campaigns were financed before BCRA. The authors also draws lessons from 2004 for future reforms at the state and federal levels.

Since 1960, these Financing the Election volumes have presented authoritative information on the costs and trends of campaign finance in the United States. In establishing the parameters of electoral campaigns and political spending as well as interpreting the results, Financing the 2004 Election provides a unique resource for anyone concerned with the current state of money and politics. This important book, featuring recognized authorities on campaign finance, pays special attention to the effects of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002, contrasting current campaign financing with pre-BCRA patterns. The authors also draw lessons from 2004 for future reform at the state and federal levels.

David B. Magleby is dean of the School of Family, Home, and Social Sciences at Brigham Young University, where he is also a professor of political science. He is the editor of Financing the 2000 Election (Brookings 2002), and coauthor of Government by the People, which is now in its twenty-first edition.