In the wake of yet another failed effort to enact campaign finance reform during the 1998 legislative session, the new Congress will once again wrestle with an issue that the public continues to rank as a high priority. This volume will provide journalists, policymakers, and other citizens concerned about the issue with the most up to date and essential facts about campaign finance reform, as well as clear explanations of key concepts and areas of dispute, just as the next installment of the seemingly perpetual debate is unfolding. In addition to presenting the latest figures from the 1998 elections, the volume, which is part of The Century Foundation's Beyond the Basics series, will analyze such important issues as: the costs of campaigning, sources of funding, party financing and "soft money," issue advocacy, the public financing system for presidential campaigns, and options for reform. In addition, the volume includes an explanation of the Buckley v. Valeo Supreme Court decision and its impact on efforts to change campaign finance laws.