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The presidential election campaign fund checkoff appeared on US income tax return forms as the question ''Do you want $3 of your federal tax to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund?'' Originally $1 and implemented in the 1970s as an attempt at the public funding of elections, this money provides for the financing of presidential primary and general election campaigns and national party conventions. Beginning with the 1973 tax year, individual taxpayers were able to designate $1 to be applied to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.〔See line 8, 1973 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Dep't of the Treasury.〕 Both the Republican and Democratic nominees in the general election receive a fixed amount of checkoff dollars. Nominees from other political parties may qualify for a smaller, proportionate amount of checkoff funds if they receive over five percent of the vote. The national parties also receive funds to cover the costs of their national conventions. Matching funds are also given for primary candidates for small contributions. The campaign fund reduces a candidate's dependence on large contributions from individuals and special-interest groups. This program is administered by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Requirements to be declared eligible include agreeing to an overall spending limit, abiding by spending limits in each state, using public funds only for legitimate campaign-related expenses, keeping financial records and permitting an extensive campaign audit. Checking the box does not change the amount of an individual's tax or refund. The $3 is paid by the government. In other words, checking the box causes the federal government to receive $3 less in tax revenue for other spending, than if one hadn't checked the box. ==Primary election== The federal government will match up to $250 of an individual's total contributions to an eligible candidate. Only candidates seeking nomination by a political party to the office of President are eligible to receive primary matching funds. In addition, a candidate must establish eligibility by submitting to the FEC proof that at least $5,000 was raised in each of at least 20 states. Only a maximum of $250 per individual applies toward the $5,000 threshold in each state. The spending limit increases every cycle due to inflation. The FEC estimates that the limits for the primary election will be $40.9 million, of which a candidate must abide by state limits of 65.4 cents per person of voting age population in a state, or $817,800, whichever is greater.〔(Presidential Spending Limits 2007 )〕 Certain fundraising expenses (up to 20 percent of the expenditure limit) and legal and accounting expenses incurred solely to ensure the campaign's compliance with the law do not count against the expenditure limits. Once they have established eligibility for matching payments, Presidential candidates may receive public funds to match contributions from individual contributors, up to $250 per individual. The contributions must be in the form of a check or money order, although with the Internet, credit cards are also eligible as they can be tracked. Contributions from political committees and cash contributions are ineligible. Eligible candidates may receive public funds equaling up to half of the national spending limit for the primary campaign, although because of the donors that give up to the $2,300 limit, they generally raise much more money than they receive in matching funds. In 2008, many of the top candidates chose not to accept the primary matching funds. Tom Tancredo,〔(tancredo certification )〕 John Edwards,〔(edwards certification )〕 Chris Dodd,〔(dodd eligible )〕 Joe Biden,〔(Biden cert )〕 Dennis Kucinich,〔(kucinich threshold )〕 and Duncan Hunter〔(hunter threshold )〕 qualified for and elected to take public funds in the primary. John McCain qualified〔(McCain certification )〕 for public funds in the primary, but later decided to reject them.〔(McCain rejects primary public funds ), news.yahoo.com 2008-02-11 via web.archive.org〕 Barack Obama declined public funds for both the primary and the November election. Ironically, McCain later accepted public funds for the November election, prompting an October 2008 article on NPR in which both candidates were scorned. "Sen. John McCain, one of the most vocal proponents of campaign finance reform, is being hoisted by his own petard by choosing to accept federal funding for his general election campaign. Meanwhile, Sen. Barack Obama, the choice of the Democratic Party — the very party that cried out for finance reform in the wake of the Watergate scandal — has chosen to bypass public funds." Other major candidates have eschewed the low amount of spending permitted and have chosen not to participate. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Presidential election campaign fund checkoff」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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