Getting Around Circumvention: A Proposal for Taking FECA Online (Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971‪)‬

INTRODUCTION During the 2004 election cycle, Americans went online in unprecedented numbers to obtain and exchange information about candidates and campaign issues. (1) In addition to facilitating political debate, this explosion of online political activity has galvanized substantial expenditures of money--over $27 million was spent on online advertisements, e-mail list services, and other Internet activities during the 2004 elections alone. (2) Because the pervasiveness of online campaign activity and related expenditures is only expected to increase in the coming years, (3) the question of how campaign finance law should regard such activity is of both immediate and increasing importance.