Final answer:
National party contributions, individual donors, and political action committees are all sources of campaign funding, with individual contribution limits and a significant role of super PACs in unlimited donating to indirectly support candidates, all of which influence the campaign finance landscape.
Step-by-step explanation:
National party contributions, individual donors, and political action committees (PACs) are all sources of campaign funding. Donations to political campaigns from individuals and groups are considered a form of political participation and are protected as political speech. Individual donors can contribute up to $2,900 to a single candidate, while PACs can donate up to $5,000 to a candidate per election and $15,000 annually to a national political party.
The introduction of super PACs allows corporations and unions to donate unlimited funds to indirectly support candidates, which has led to concerns over political influence and the rise of an oligarchy.
Despite regulations by the Federal Election Campaign Act and subsequent campaign finance reform legislation, the 2012 Supreme Court's Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision significantly loosened restrictions on corporate and union campaign contributions.
The role of money in elections has been a contentious issue, with both positive impacts on grassroots participation and negative implications for political power concentration.