Campaign finance

The funding of political parties as a term of political science includes revenues, expenditures and asset development of political parties.

The income of political parties in most democracies come from four main sources: membership fees, party donations (direct and indirect ) public funding as well as elected representatives levies / party taxes ( taxes and " special contributions " of MPs and ministers ). These types of income have different meanings at parties in different countries. Sometimes contribute to individual parties in addition income from the participation in economic companies to fund.

The funding of political parties is to be distinguished from the broader term financing policy, which is also the financing of the fractions in supranational, national, regional and local parliaments, deputies in parliaments of all kinds and, if necessary, the political foundations involving.

Germany

In international comparison, the financing of political parties in Germany is characterized by several features. The share of membership dues to the income of the parties is relatively high ( with falling membership and high average contributions), the percentage of donations is significantly lower.

At the public funding of party activity in Germany different ways are used side by side: The partial government funding (formerly election campaign expenses ) covers a considerable part of the total cost. In addition, the tax treatment of " small donations " membership fees and members fees. As with other forms of indirect financing of free broadcasting time for election campaigning in public broadcasting and the provision of billboards by municipal authorities are to be mentioned. In the border area for policy funding include public funding for the work of parliamentary factions and the " block grants " to political foundations.

As a consequence of Article 21 of the Basic Law, the German Parties shall report through internet available Bundestag printed matter annually on all income, expenditures and the status of their assets for all organizational levels ( federal, state, county and municipal ). They are in terms of scale of accountability (not just revenue and expenditure, but also stand the assets) and range ( involving all regional branches ) worldwide the only ones.

European Union

Since the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 funding from the budget of the European Union is provided for political parties at European level. The conditions for a political party funding are set out in the EU Regulation 2004/2003. Currently, 13 European parties are accredited by the European Parliament and received EU funding.

List of political party funding in euros per year:

* For 2012 and 2013, preliminary fixing ( maximum amounts) Libertas ** 2009 received a preliminary funding of € 202,823 awarded, but the decision was later withdrawn.

France

In France, all parties entitled looked a long time to convert their political influence on construction and armament projects in party donations. Also, there were large donations to political parties, especially before elections, from former colonies of France to parties or individual politicians.

The journalist Jean Montaldo 1994 published a book under the title " Mitterrand and the 40 Thieves ". In it, he threw Mitterrand to have tolerated corruption socialist party of friends around them and to surround himself with questionable friends like Bernard Tapie. Montaldo relied primarily on alleged information from François de Grossouvre. This was over 35 years one of the closest confidants Mitterrand and committed suicide in 1994 at the Elysee Palace.

In the summer of 2010, there were two donations scandals: one to the Staatapräsidenten Sarkozy, one to his Labour Minister Eric Woerth.

The electoral law was changed in France with the Paritée Act 2000. Since then, parties receive less money if they do not comply with the legal requirements for a quota for women within their groups.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands there is since 1999 a law to support parties. Such a favored party receives a base amount and additional money per Member of Parliament and per member (from a thousand members, who pay at least a year of 12 € ). These are:

• Free airtime on radio and TV
• Money for staff of fractions
• Most parties require representatives of the people, that they pay a portion of their diets to the party.

There are also private donations. From € 4,537.80 the donor must be published. However, this applies only to parties who actually received the support of the said law. The Partij voor de Vrijheid has, strictly speaking, only a single member, and therefore does not benefit from government support, but does not announce the names of their donors. She struggles particularly against plans to introduce the publication requirement for all parties.

Scandals related to party financing are rare.

Austria

Also in Austria are parties in the 19th century. emerged as voluntary organizations of citizens, who originally funded only by membership fees and donations. Meanwhile, with the mandate holder charges ( "party taxes " ) and added more public funds pillars of fundraising. The basis for the public financing of political parties in Austria the Political Parties Act ( " PPA " ) and the party Promotion Act ( " PartFörG " ), most recently in 2012 recast under the heading of transparency package. Under Article 1 § 1 para 1 PPA, are " the existence and diversity of political parties [ ... ] essential components of the democratic order of the Republic of Austria ", resulting in tasks and goals for the parties derived that are worthy of public support. Your funding includes revenue from membership fees, private donations, party taxes ( elected posts) and public subsidies ( party promotion ).

Austrian law distinguishes between the ( appearing on the ballot ) seeking election party, the party responsible for the daily political business political party and the parliamentary clubs, each with different income. Clubs are promoted since 1963, is based on the club Financing Act of 1985. Besides ( the press promoting party media below) and Political Academies party-affiliated organizations throughout the conveyor system promoted, although this strictly speaking about the actual party promotion extends.

In 2009, the Parliament clubs were funded with EUR 18.5 million, followed by public relations in § 2 PPA with EUR 16 million, the election expenses reimbursement with EUR 12.4 million and EUR 11.6 million with party academies, total: 58.6 EUR million. Thus Austria has an index of 2.66 ( spending per party electorate in relation to gross domestic product ) to Japan (2.70), the second highest "Democracy costs " in an international comparison. Promotion under § 2 PPA ( the actual core of public party funding) has recently declined slightly and amounted to EUR 15.3 million in 2012, including EUR 4.6 million for the Social Democratic Party ahead of the ÖVP with EUR 4.1 million. As part of the transparency packet many new rules including stricter disclosure requirements came into force in July 2012, including for donations now over 7260 EUR. The " baiting " of elected officials has already been banned in 2008, but eased back in 2009, which was particularly criticized in connection with the telecom scandal and the parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into corruption charges as a step backwards.

Austria joined against Corruption ( GRECO) in 2006, the Council of Europe 's Group of States and has been checked for the first time in 2011.

Have not the parties represented in the election year also entitled to funding for their activities ( election expenses reimbursement ) if they have received more than one percent of the valid votes.

The new version of the Political Parties Act 2012 contains a number of provisions of the Constitution, which was adopted by the Constituent majority (SPÖ / ÖVP and the Greens as the only opposition party ). The new regulation of party funding law adopted by a simple majority of the party promoting increased with simultaneous elimination of election campaign expenses contribution (except for elections to the European Parliament). A revision of the documentation of party control ( cf. the German term elected post ) 2012 was still the exception and should take place in the Political Parties Act in 2013.

Poland

The funding of political parties in Poland is in the Political Parties Act ( ustawa o partiach politycznych ) regulated. In 2001, a party funding from state funds was introduced. This change of funding should be more requirements. So the possibilities of corruption should be reduced, mitigated the financial pressure of the parties and younger parties are given better opportunities. Since 2001, the parties may only be financed by state funds, member contributions and legacies. Donations are allowed only by natural persons and here only in limited amounts.

Right to support each party has the in a statewide general election at least 3 % of the vote wins, the level of support depends on the election result. 2008 received a total of 107 million zloty from the state budget to the parties in 2002 it was 37 million. As a weakness of the system were determined that the political landscape thus promotes passivity of the parties and new parties have less chance to enter the Sejm. The majority of Poland is still against public financing of political parties. In early 2009, a proposal for amendment introduced which was adopted after some modifications in April 2009 by the Sejm of the party Lewica i Demokraci ( Left and Democrats ). Since the Polish President Lech Kaczyński had doubts about the constitutionality of the law, he placed it in front of the Polish Constitutional Court.

Switzerland

Switzerland is one of the few European countries that have no special legal provisions on political parties, either to finance or to finance election campaigns. The Group of States against Corruption ( GRECO ), an organization of Europe, Switzerland is therefore recommended in 2011 to introduce rules on the accounting and disclosure of donations by the parties.

USA

In the U.S., there are no government-regulated financing of the local parties. More than in Germany, therefore, there is associated the campaign with the search for financial support from individuals, but is limited to a maximum contribution per individual. This leads to a greater dependence of the parties from private donors, on the other hand, these compounds are also more likely to be disclosed than is the case for example in Germany.

International comparison

A review of the funding of political parties in different countries can be the main areas of expenditure, facing the main sources of income and the legal rules ( for the financial aspects of party activity ) for comparison. In most countries ( notable exception: USA ) is among organizations that solicit funds for political purposes and spend at parties, more specifically to party headquarters or regional and local government associations.

Party related expenditure for political competition may relate to

• Election campaigns of candidates who support groups ( Proponentenkomitees ), interest groups or political parties,
• Intraparty contests for the nomination of ( parliamentary ) candidates (eg primaries ),
• Education and training ( training) of party activists, party officials or candidates,
• Development of policy designs ( programs or individual measures ) by parties or party-affiliated organizations,
• The ongoing operation of party organizations in capitals or at the local level,
• Efforts to political information to citizens ( also with regard to petitions and referenda ).

The spending priorities of the party headquarters are in public relations and political campaigns, mass media (including billboards and major events), salaries and benefits for full-time party workers, services of advertising agencies and communication consultants ( " spin doctors " ) and offices (including rents and operating costs). Local party organizations (such as the constituency parties or district organizations ) that are dependent on the voluntary, unpaid cooperation of party activists and other helpers to a great extent, give money especially for postal and telecommunications services as well as the rent and operating costs of office space, which as centers of local party activity serve.

For the total cost of the party activity, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg has presented comparative data. Then include Israel, Italy, Japan and Austria to the most expensive democracies in the world. In contrast, Australia, Canada, the UK and the Netherlands are ' affordable ' democracies. For midfield include, inter alia, Germany, France, Ireland and the United States. " The duration of democratic tradition reduces costs; in developing countries and countries in transition are the costs of party competition by the expense of ' vote buying ' significantly higher than in stable democratic structures with long accustomed to an impersonal party competition. "

Revenue for political purposes can be derived from

• Individual citizens who make occasional donations as party members a regular contributor or as a small donor,
• Wealthy individuals, social organizations (in particular interest groups ) or companies by larger donations ( large donations ) to support certain political ideas or want to gain access to political actors or offices,
• From public funds, promote, directly or indirectly ( under certain conditions) the political activities of parties.

GM Gidlund has called these three kinds of fundraising as a core funding, plutocratic financing or public funding.

Many democracies have now created legal arrangements for the financing of political parties ( party financial regime ). Such rules can

• Prohibitions and limitations on certain revenue or expenditure on
• The extent, distribution and access to public benefits SHapINg,
• Prescribe the transparency of party finances through regular financial reports and donor lists and
• Proceedings or criminal provisions include.

Legal prohibitions of expenses for party political purposes relate either campaign spending by non- candidate (so-called independent expenditure and electioneering third party ), or the purchase of airtime for campaigning. Both types of prohibitions are caught between two constitutional principles of equality of political competition and freedom of expression.

Great Britain limits the expenditure of the constituency candidates since 1883., Canada has introduced the first democracy in 1974 in addition a spending limit on political parties and 2004 spending limits for candidates for a nomination in the constituency. The U.S. Supreme Court rulings in 1976 that a statutory limit campaign spending with free speech under the First Amendment incompatible, therefore unconstitutional is. To be effective, requires any limitation of expenditure in the political competition careful monitoring, consistent enforcement measures and appropriate sanctions for any violations.

In terms of revenue for political purposes regulatory incentives, such as tax benefits or increase funds ( matching funds ), certain forms of benefits ( such as contributions of party members or small donations of party supporters ) are intended to promote, rather rare. More common are prohibitions and limits on certain types of income.