Independent expenditure refers to political advertising funded by which of the following?

• A. The candidate.
• B. The candidate's campaign.
• C. Groups not coordinating with the candidate.
• D. Foreign governments.

Answer: (C)

Independent expenditure means money spent on political advertising by groups that are not coordinating with the candidate's campaign. The key idea is independence: the group funds and produces the ad without direction from the candidate or campaign, so it’s not part of the candidate’s own campaign financing. This distinguishes it from spending by the candidate or the candidate's campaign, which is coordinated with the campaign's goals and strategies. Foreign governments are not a valid source for independent expenditures in U.S. elections, as such involvement is prohibited. An example would be a nonprofit or political action committee running an ad for or against a candidate without any contact or coordination with that candidate’s campaign.