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This guide is out of date after the rulemaking issued by the FEC on April 12, 2006. CDT is developing a new guide to illustrate the new rules. Please check back here in the future to find our new guide.
The Internet is fostering an explosion of democratic activity outside the
control of the political parties, the traditional media or the moneyed
special interests. Voters are using the Internet to express their personal
political viewpoints and to encourage activism and participation by others.
This dynamism has come into conflict with the federal campaign finance law,
which regulates expenditures and contributions for political advocacy. The
Federal Election Commission (FEC) has been trying to decide when Web-based
activity should be regulated under the law. Early FEC opinions tried to fit
the Internet into the model designed for expensive radio and TV
advertisements. In January 2000, the FEC issued a notice of inquiry on
uses of the Internet for campaign activity, seeking public comment on
specific questions relating to online political advocacy.
CDT believes that the sort of robust, individual political advocacy found
on the Internet is precisely the type of speech that the campaign finance
law was intended to promote, not regulate. CDT has worked to explain to
the FEC why the uniquely global, decentralized, abundant, inexpensive,
interactive and user-controlled nature of the Internet entitles it to
different treatment and why individual Web projects, unaffiliated with
organized political campaigns, should not be burdened by rules regarding
campaign contributions and expenditures.
This guide offers a tutorial and virtual tour to show Members and staff of
the Federal Election Commission, Members of Congress, experts, and the
public how the Internet is being used by ordinary citizens for political
advocacy and why this manifestation of democratic participation should be
left unregulated.
We highlight the following issues:
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