Which term describes spending by groups not coordinated with a candidate's campaign that aims to influence elections?

• A. Independent expenditure.
• B. Soft money.
• C. Dark money.
• D. Bundling.

Answer: (A)

Spending by groups that aim to influence elections but are not coordinated with a candidate’s campaign is described as independent expenditure. The key idea is independence from the candidate and their campaign machinery—the group funds ads or other activities to advocate for or against a candidate without direction from the campaign itself.

For context, soft money refers to money given to parties for broad activities rather than directly to a candidate; dark money involves spending by groups whose donors aren’t disclosed; bundling is the practice of collecting many individual contributions to deliver to a campaign. Each describes a different way money moves in politics, whereas independent expenditure specifically highlights that lack of coordination with the candidate.