President Theodore Roosevelt's Influence On Politics

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The influence on wealthy individuals and corporations in politics and campaigns was not a new phenomenon in the early 1970s. In fact, President Theodore Roosevelt proposed reigning in campaign spending by corporations and called for transparency in campaign finances. However, it wasn't until 1971 that reform efforts were put into law with passage of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). The law, signed by Nixon shortly before the 1972 Watergate break-in, instituted disclosure requirements for federal candidates, political parties, and political action committees. However, the law lacked teeth because there was no government-level body to enforce it.
Watergate brought an end to the leniency. In 1974, FECA was amended, limiting the amount