Question

why has the federal election commission (fec) been unable to do a more effective job of administering campaign finance law?
the fec is underfunded and understaffed.
campaigns are not required to report large contributions in a timely manner.
federal campaign finance laws are not worded strongly enough.
the fec can place limits on campaign expenditures but not on contributions.

Explanation:

To determine why the FEC struggles with administering campaign finance law, we analyze each option:

• Option A (The FEC is underfunded and understaffed): Resource limitations (funding, staff) directly hinder an agency’s ability to enforce laws effectively.
• Option B (Campaigns not reporting timely): Reporting timeliness is a compliance issue, not an FEC capacity issue.
• Option C (Laws not strongly worded): Weak law wording is a legislative issue, not an FEC administration barrier.
• Option D (FEC limits expenditures, not contributions): This describes FEC authority, not why it struggles to administer laws.

Underfunding and understaffing (Option A) most logically explain the FEC’s inability to act effectively, as resource constraints limit enforcement capabilities.

Answer:

A. The FEC is underfunded and understaffed.