Soft money

Soft money refers to donations made to political parties that are not subject to federal limits or regulations, often used for party-building activities like voter registration or grassroots efforts. Unlike hard money, which is directly given to candidates and regulated by law, soft money can be spent more freely but is intended to support the party as a whole rather than individual candidates. The use of soft money became more controversial after the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which aimed to restrict its influence in elections and increase transparency in campaign financing.