Final answer:
Hard money contributions are political donations made directly to a candidate and tracked by the Federal Election Commission. They are subject to limits and must be disclosed. Soft money contributions, on the other hand, are donations given to a political party or cause.
Step-by-step explanation:
Political contributions that are given directly to a candidate and are tracked and reported to the Federal Elections Committee are known as hard money contributions, not soft money contributions. Soft money refers to donations that are given to a political party or cause rather than directly to an individual politician's campaign.
Hard money contributions are subject to limits set by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and must be disclosed. They can be made by individuals, political action committees (PACs), or other political organizations. These contributions are used to support a specific candidate's campaign and are regulated to prevent corruption and undue influence in elections.
For example, if an individual donates $2,500 to a presidential candidate's campaign, that contribution would be considered a hard money contribution and would be tracked and reported to the FEC. On the other hand, if the same individual donates $100,000 to a political party, that would be considered a soft money contribution.