Evolution of Campaign Finance Law
Principal Statutes and Court Decisions
The following is a list of the major laws and court decisions that have contributed to the development of the current legal framework governing Federal campaign finance practices. 1867 — The Naval Appropriations bill, the first Federal attempt to regulate campaign finance, prohibited officers and employees of the government from soliciting money from naval yardworkers.1883 — The Civil Service Reform Act extended the above rule to all Federal civil service workers. Previously, government workers were expected to make campaign contributions in order to keep their jobs.1905 — President Theodore Roosevelt proposed that "all contributions by corporations to any political committee…
