Campaign contributions donated directly to candidates that must be disclosed are known as which?

• A. Independent expenditures
• B. Soft money
• C. Hard money
• D. Public financing

Answer: (C)

Hard money refers to campaign contributions given directly to a candidate or their campaign committee, with the amounts limited and the donations disclosed to the election authorities. This direct funding is tightly regulated to keep track of who is influencing the candidate and how much, which is why these contributions must be reported and fall under strict limits. The other terms describe different kinds of political spending: independent expenditures are funds spent on ads or activities independent of a candidate, soft money is money given to parties or committees for generic purposes not tied to a specific candidate, and public financing involves government funds rather than private donors. So, the description of money donated directly to candidates that must be disclosed aligns with hard money.