Hard money in campaign finance refers to which of the following?

• A. Hard money is regulated contributions to campaigns.
• B. Hard money is unregulated donations to political parties.
• C. Hard money refers to money spent on election ads.
• D. Hard money is funds from foreign sources.

Answer: (A)

Hard money refers to contributions directly given to a candidate’s campaign that are regulated and disclosed, with set limits on how much can be donated and required reporting of the money’s source and use. These funds come from domestic contributors, such as individuals and authorized political committees, and are used to support the candidate’s campaign activities like advertising, staff, and outreach.

This is different from soft money, which funds party-building activities or general party purposes not tied to a specific candidate and historically faced looser restrictions. The definition isn’t about how ads are paid for or about foreign sources; it’s about the regulated nature of the donation to a campaign itself, which is why the correct understanding is that hard money consists of regulated contributions to campaigns.