Which law raised hard money limits to $2000 and banned soft money contributions to national political parties?

• A. McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002
• B. Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974
• C. Help America Vote Act of 2002
• D. Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007

Answer: (A)

Campaign finance reform focused on how money flows into federal elections, distinguishing hard money (direct to candidates or their committees, with strict limits) from soft money (to parties for generic purposes). The law in question is the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, also known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. It raised hard money limits to $2,000 per candidate per election and banned national political parties from accepting or spending soft money for federal campaigns. This combination targeted both the size of individual contributions and the ability of parties to spend unregulated funds, which is why it matches the prompt. Other acts either addressed different issues or didn't combine these two key provisions.