Bundling Campaign Contributions - How It Works

Bundling campaign  contributions is a common practice in American congressional and presidential elections. The term bundling refers to a form of fundraising in which one person or small groups of people—lobbyists, business owners, special interest groups, or activists seeking legislative action—convince  their wealthy friends, co-workers, and other like-minded donors to simultaneously write checks to their preferred candidate for public office. It is not uncommon for bundlers to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in a presidential-election year and receive special treatment in return for their work. A bundler is a person or small group of people  who pool or aggregate these contributions and then deliver them in one lump sum to a political campaign. In the 2000 presidential campaign, Republican nominee  George W. Bush used the term pioneers to describe bundlers who raised at least $100,000 for his White House bid. Bundlers are often rewarded by successful candidates with plum positions in an administration or other political favors.  Four out of five of Democratic presidential nominee  Barack Obamas largest fundraisers in the 2008 presidential campaign received  key posts in his administration, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics. Bundling is a legal way for campaign supporters to circumvent  individual contribution limits set forth in federal campaign finance laws. As of 2019, an individual can contribute up to $2,800 to a candidate for federal office in a single election, or up to $5,600 per election cycle (since the primary and general election are separate elections.) But bundlers can persuade like-minded donors to give at once, typically by inviting them to a fundraiser or special event and, in turn, rolling up those contributions into massive sums of money to federal candidates. Not Heavily Regulated The Federal Election Commission (FEC), the entity that regulates campaign-finance laws in the United States,  requires candidates for federal office  to disclose the funds bundled by registered lobbyists. As of 2018, the FEC required candidates or parties to file a report when they received a contribution that was bundled in two or more checks that exceeded the threshold of $18,200 in the calendar year. For everyone whos not a lobbyists disclosure is voluntary and sporadic. In the 2008 presidential election, for example, Obama and Republican nominee John McCain both agreed to make public the names of bundlers who raised more than $50,000. The FEC rules, however, are considered loose by government watchdogs and  easily circumvented by crafty bundlers and lobbyists wishing to remain out of the public eye. In some cases, bundlers can avoid disclosing their role in raising large sums of money for a campaign by never physically pooling and delivering the checks, just organizing the fundraising.   How Much Raised? Bundlers are responsible for generating tens of millions of dollars to their preferred candidates. In the 2012 presidential race, for example, bundlers delivered about $200 million to Obamas campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. According to the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, Bundlers, who are often corporate CEOs, lobbyists, hedge fund managers or independently wealthy people, are able to funnel far more money to campaigns than they could personally give under campaign finance laws. President Donald Trump didnt rely heavily on big dollar donations or bundlers in the 2016 election, but did turn to them in his reelection bid in 2020. Why Bundlers Bundle Bundlers who deliver large amounts of campaign cash to candidates have been rewarded with access to prominent White House advisers and strategists, official titles and privileged treatment in campaigns, and ambassadorships and other plum political appointments. The Center for Public Integrity reported that Obama rewarded about 200 bundlers with jobs and appointments. According to Public Citizen: Bundlers play an enormous role in determining the success of political campaigns and are apt to receive preferential treatment if their candidate wins. Bundlers who direct money to presidential candidates tend to be first in line for plum ambassador positions and other political appointments. Industry titans and lobbyists are more likely to receive preferential treatment from elected officials if they raised large amounts of money for them. When Is It Illegal? Bundlers seeking political favors often promise big money to candidates. And sometimes they fail to deliver. So in some cases, bundlers have been known to give large sums of money to employees, family members and friends with the implicit goal of having those employees, family members and friends turn around and contribute to a candidate for Congress or the presidency. Thats illegal.

Rhetorical Analysis - 1841 Words

Introduction A rhetorical analysis assignment is to see how an author tries to present his work to a certain group of people. There is present certain meaning in all the texts and it is up to the author to communicate it in the required way. The purpose of this assignment was to review the article and see how the author made use of different strategies. It appears that a major aim that the author had was trying to convince the readers about revenue based financing. The author made use of several strategies as they will be discussed further down. There are many examples of rhetorical writing strategies that an author can use to make the writing all the more powerful. There is a very crucial reason why writers actually go for this sort of writing. The simplest answer would be to have their writing be more powerful and effective on the reader. The document that will be analyzed today is an n article written by Verne Kopytoff. The title of writing basically talks about how revenue-based financing is a good solution for business. The title itself sheds positive light on the article and states that the better the business does, the faster you will pay. The author of the article is Verne Kopytoff who is a technology journalist. He is alum of the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times. The article was written on February 05 2013. The intended audience for this piece of writing is struggling entrepreneurs. These employers or owners can belong to either big business orShow MoreRelatedThe Tipping Point: Rhetorical Analysis Essay813 Words   |  4 PagesThe Tipping Point: Rhetorical Analysis Throughout The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell explains to his reader his ideas about drastic changes in society, and how they seem to occur so rapidly. In this particular selection, Gladwell emphasizes the purpose of â€Å"connectors†, saying that they have a â€Å"special gift for bringing the world together (page 38)†. Gladwell states that part of the reason information or trends spread like wildfire is the presence of a specific group of people. They are called â€Å"connecters†Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Of The Death Of The Moth And On Keeping A Notebook 1427 Words   |  6 Pages19, September, 2014 9th Ni Device Use Analysis Rhetoric devices are often used by writers to clarify ideas, emphasize key points, or relate insights to the reader. In both â€Å"The Death of the Moth† and â€Å"On Keeping A Notebook, † the authors heavily rely on such devices to get their points across to the audience, and these devices help strengthen overall theme the authors want to communicate. 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In Will McAvoy’s speech on â€Å"The Newsroom†, McAvoy uses a variety of rhetorical devices such as Anthypophora, Asyndeton, and Dysphemism to convey the message that America is not the greatest country in the world anymore. First, Anthypophora is one of the three most effective rhetorical devices used in this powerful speech. Anthypophora is when the speaker asks a question, but instead of letting someone answer, the speaker immediatelyRead MoreRhetorical Analysis of Ellen DeGeneress Commencement Speech Essay1144 Words   |  5 Pages Ellen’s Commencement Speech Rhetorical Analysis Graduation caps fly into the air, cheers erupt, and diplomas are received. This is a typical graduation day. Not only did these ceremonial events take place for Tulane Universitys class of 2009, but Ellen DeGeneres was there to congratulate them as well! This class was dubbed the Katrina Class for being survivors of the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 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The definition of rhetorical analysis will help me better understand what I should be looking for when I receive a text, as rhetorical analysis is different than literary analysis. Therefore, the devices for each are also different (Lunsford et al. 88). 2. Intended audience is the initial step to any rhetorical analysis. If you are unable to identify an audience

Consolidating the Directv Acquisition Free Essays

Case 7: News Corp. in 2005, Consolidating the DirecTV acquisition The case focuses on the acquisition and consolidation of DirecTV by media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. After the acquisition, Murdoch’s content-and-distribution empire spanned four continents, with more than 26 million subscribers. We will write a custom essay sample on Consolidating the Directv Acquisition or any similar topic only for you Order Now Murdoch, News Corp. ’s chairman, had ambitions to build one of the most powerful media companies in the world. He aspired to have a balance between subscription and advertising revenue, the best mix of content and distribution and the widest geographic spread in the world.There are a various aspects of the general environment firstly; the political/legal aspect of the general environment was initially most significant in the purchase of DirecTV by News Corp. FTC concerns of potential market concentration issues if EchoStar purchased DirecTV forced the two to drop discussion, paving the way for News Corp. ’s purchase of DirecTV. Technology is probably the most important current aspect of the general environment.Secondly, Demographic segment Growing markets worldwide for various communication and entertainment media content. Thirdly, Socio-cultural segment largely due to rapid changes in technology, as well as increased overall globalization efforts, consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the quality and type of communication and entertainment that they expect. Communication, news and entertainment provided by DirecTV and similar services have become viewed as nearly a necessity in a modern world.Fourthly, Economic segment while general economic conditions and level of economic development in a particular country or region may hinder some feasibility of these types of services, in general, they are needed and used by markets worldwide regardless of overall economic conditions. Fifthly, Political/legal segment The FTC, the government’s watchdog arm that over sees competition policy, is responsible for ensuring that consumers’ interests are protected. If an industry is getting increasingly concentrated, the FTC can use antitrust laws to prevent further consolidation of the industry or break up previous consolidation.The FCC, the government’s watchdog arm that oversees the communications industry, is responsible for overseeing companies that sell communications products and services. Finally, Technological/global segment The 1980s and 1990s saw a worldwide race to deliver television programs to global markets. Cable operators invested in laying cables and beamed programming content through these cables into subscribers’ homes. Satellite television had a much wider reach, because satellites orbiting the earth sent the programming content directly into the home without the need for a cable connection.By 2000, cable had an important advantage over satellite in that it offered high-speed, two-way access, including phone capability. Satellite was still mostly one-way. However, it would take cable companies years of multi-million dollar investments to upgrade to digital technology. DirecTV competes in a broadly defined media industry. Several sectors of this industry might include communications (e. g. telephone, internet, cable, satellite TV), news services, entertainment (e. g. , cable and network programming, movies, pay per view, gaming). There are various characteristics of the dominant industry.Market size is the most providers are regional or national competitors, depending on the facet of media in which they compete. Life cycle stage is growth. Growth rate is rapid. Scope of rivalry is fragmented in some respects, but rivalry is fierce among those that go head to head in specific sectors. Rivalry concentration is the media industry is dominated by large and powerful companies, but most of these are regional, national or multi-national players. Pace of industry change is the technology change is rapid in telecommunications and related fields, which drives significant rapid change in all aspects of media. Product/service differentiation is the consumers often have changing options for substitute products. Porter’s five forces model of competition to the industry. Generally media is a very attractive industry with substantial growth opportunities, both domestically and internationally. Extensive economies of scope and scale are becoming increasingly influential in this industry and its related sectors. Threat of entry: new technologies fuel the constant threat of new entrants into some facet of content and/or delivery in the media industry. Bargaining power of suppliers: Bargaining power of suppliers is not significant here.Content suppliers must deal with DirecTV due to its massive size and market share. Bargaining power of buyers: Customers’ bargaining power is very significant, as consumers increasingly have choices of how and when they take delivery of content. Threat of substitute products: many potential substitutes exist, along with many ways to access content. Rivalry amongst existing competitors: Rivalry is fierce, as News Corp. had substantial content that cable providers needed for product scope, permitting premium pricing. Cable and satellite are constantly battling for new or switching customers.Critical success factors DirecTV must continue to be aggressive in its acquisition and implementation of new technology. They must also be keenly aware of customer tastes and preferences for content and delivery options. There are two types of resources Tangible and intangible. News Corp. ’s tangible resources are its global satellite platform and its strength in both content and distribution, as well as an impressive set of fast-growing networks such as Fox News, Fox Sports, National Geographic and Speed Channel and satellite distribution in Europe, Asia and Australia. Before its acquisition of DirecTV, News Corp. as a global company, but had no direct broadcast satellite presence in the United States. DirecTV had three primary components at the time it was acquired by News Corp. , all of which appear useful for expanding News Corp’s scale and scope of offerings: it was the largest US provider of direct broadcast satellite, giving customers access to hundreds of channels of digital-quality video and audio programming; PanAmSat owned and operated 25 satellites that covered 98% of the world’s population; and broadband satellite networks and services were provided to both consumer s and enterprises. Intangible resources an aggressive corporate culture used to dealing in the high-pressure, ever-changing media industry, which fuels significant interest in developing scope and scale of product content and delivery. There are unique internal resources and capabilities of DirecTV that played a prominent role in Murdoch’s decision to acquire DirecTV. DirecTV was the first entertainment service in the US to deliver all digital-quality multi-channels TV programming through an 18-inch satellite dish. In 2003 DirecTV had 12. million subscribers, 10. 7 million of which were DirecTV subscribers, and the remaining receiving DirecTV service from members and affiliates of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative. This unique capability potentially provided Murdoch with a vast American market and the ability to shake his programming from the seeming stranglehold of American cable companies. The rivalry like between News Corp. and its competitor(s) during the acquisition of DirecTV. In September 2000, Murdoch offered $22 billion for a 35% stake in DirecTV.In Feb 2001 Hughes stock declined, and Murdoch reduced his bid for a 30% stake. As News Corp. negotiated with Hughes Electronics for the sale of DirecTV, the progress was very slow. In 2001, EchoStar surprised many by making an unsolicited bid to buy Hughes for $30. 4 billion in stock and $1. 9 billion in assumed debt. EchoStar was in the US satellite pay-tv market and a combined DirecTV and EchoStar would control as much as 92% of that market. Murdoch used this knowledge to lobby intensely to block the merger on antitrust grounds, and DirecTV and EchoStar dropped their deal.In April 2003, News Corp. acquired GM’s 19. 9% stake in Hughes and a further 14. 1% from public stakeholders. The feature of the external environment does News Corp. use to fend off its rivals. Murdoch used a US government regulatory body, the FTC, to make sure that his rival EchoStar did not get a chance to buy DirecTV. He forced the issue to the FTC that combination of DirecTV and EchoStar would create a monster that would control 92% of the market. Once the sale to EchoStar was blocked, News Corp. went forward and made a successful bid for the purchase of DirecTV. The News Corp. integrates the newly acquired DirecTV into its global strategy. DirecTV was immediately re-structured. Labor disputes were settled and half the employees were retrenched. DirecTV became increasingly focused on core business, selling its 80% stake in the satellite launch business for $2. 5 billion, and its set-top-box manufacturing and XM Satellite Radio. The proceeds of these sales were used to pay about $1. 4 billion for rural satellite companies that had 1. 5 million subscribers, dramatically increasing market share.The factors inhibit News Corp’s strategy from delivering its full potential. In order to close the DirecTV deal, News Corp. had to make some concessions: (1) Since the FCC had already banned large cable operators from discriminating against rival programmers, DirecTV could not use its muscle power to its full advantage (2) News Corp. had to submit to arbitration if cable operators accused it of using its popular channels as bargaining tools. These restrictions were temporary, as they expired within six years. How to cite Consolidating the Directv Acquisition, Papers