Political Party and Election Campaign Finance in Britain and America : A Comparative Study

In recent years, major new laws have been passed in both the United Kingdom and the United States reforming the systems of party and election campaign funding.

In the UK, the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) of 2000 established for the first time a regulatory framework for party finance at national level while, in the US, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 brings up-to-date the landmark Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) passed in the Watergate era of the mid 1970s.

In both countries similar concerns have been aired during the debates about reform: the need for transparency with regard to financial information about donations and spending in election campaigns; the rising costs of campaigns; the problems of unequal access to funding; the influence of large donations and how far the taxpayer should subsidize candidates' and parties' campaigns.

This book looks at the historical development of election fundraising spending and the legislative attempts to regulate them. It analyzes levels of expenditure and sources of finance in elections in both countries, considering the background to and major provisions of the most recent legislation and how it has worked in practice.

Alan Grant then explores different models of funding parties, candidates and campaigns, examining a number of key issues related to the regulation of campaign and party finance by comparing and contrasting practices in the two political systems.