What is Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)?

Definition and meaning of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA): First introduced in 1997, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) was a piece of legislation passed in 2002 to reform campaign finance in the United States. The BCRA is also known as the McCain-Feingold Act. It amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by introducing new regulations on the financing of political campaigns and addressing the growing influence of money in politics.

One key provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act was the restriction on "soft money" contributions, which were previously used by establishment political parties for activities intended to influence elections without being directly tied to individual candidates. By banning these contributions, the BCRA aimed to reduce the potential for large donors and special interest groups to exert undue influence over the political process. It also helped independent candidates and minor parties by supporting public funding of elections and reducing the influence of the two major parties. 

The BCRA introduced regulations on "issue ads," also known as electioneering communications. These are political advertisements that mention a candidate's name but do not explicitly advocate for their election or defeat. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act required that such ads, if aired close to an election, be funded by regulated contributions rather than unregulated soft money. The BCRA also forbade activities like voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts if they were tied to a particular candidate. 

While the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act was successful in curbing certain forms of campaign finance abuse, its effectiveness has been diminished over time. For example, the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United ruling declared parts of the act unconstitutional, thereby permitting unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations and unions. Despite these challenges, the BCRA remains a landmark effort in the ongoing struggle to create a fairer and more transparent campaign finance system in the United States.