Federal Election Commission

Established in 1975 Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), the Federal Election Commission is an independent agency of the U.S. government, responsible for enforcing laws and regulations about campaign finance in federal elections. Its mission has been refined by various additional laws, such as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) or McCain-Feingold. Various court cases affected it, especially the recent Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010).

It is "made up of six members, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Each member serves a six-year term, and two seats are subject to appointment every two years. By law, no more than three Commissioners can be members of the same political party, and at least four votes are required for any official Commission action. This structure was created to encourage nonpartisan decisions. The Chairmanship of the Commission rotates among the members each year, with no member serving as Chairman more than once during his or her term."