How were aggregate contribution limits different from base contribution limits under the Federal Election Campaign Act?

Under the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), contribution limits were categorized into two distinct types:

• Base Limits: These restricted the amount an individual could contribute to a specific recipient, such as a single candidate per election, a national party committee per year, or a noncandidate political action committee (PAC) per year.1
• Aggregate Limits: These capped the total amount an individual could contribute to all candidates, party committees, and PACs combined over a two-year election cycle.1

While base limits were designed to prevent direct corruption or the appearance thereof by limiting influence on any single entity, aggregate limits were intended to prevent the circumvention of those base limits—for example, by funneling large sums through multiple committees to a single candidate. In McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court ultimately struck down these aggregate limits, ruling that they were not necessary to prevent corruption.12