Stand by Your Ad provision

The "Stand By Your Ad" provision (SBYA) of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA, also known as the McCain–Feingold Act), enacted in 2002, requires candidates in the United States for federal political office, as well as interest groups and political parties supporting or opposing a candidate, to include in political advertisements on television and radio "a statement by the candidate that identifies the candidate and states that the candidate has approved the communication". The provision was intended to force political candidates running any campaign for office in the United States to associate themselves with their television and radio advertising, thereby discouraging them from making controversial claims or attack ads.^[1]

In American politics, "I approve this message" (sometimes in the past tense, also with "authorize" in place of "approve" or with "ad" instead of "message") is a phrase said by candidates for federal office to comply with this provision.

The DISCLOSE Act, proposed by Democrats in a response to the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (which held that corporations and labor unions have a constitutional right to spend unlimited sums of money on advocacy ads), would have required the heads of non-campaign organizations funding political advertisements (such as "super PACs" or corporations) to appear on-camera and follow the "stand by your ad" requirement. Although the bill passed the House of Representatives, it failed in the Senate and did not become law.^[2]

^ David Mark, Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning (2009). Rowman & Littlefield: pp. 159–160.
- John F. Bibby and Brian F. Schaffner, Politics, Parties, and Elections in America (2007). Cengage Learning: p. 266.
- Sarah A. Binder and Paul J. Quirk, The Legislative Branch (2006). Oxford University Press: pp. 139–140.
^ Dennis W. Johnson, Campaigning in the Twenty-First Century: A Whole New Ballgame? (2011). Taylor & Francis: p. 35.
- Wayne Overbeck and Genelle Belmas, Major Principles of Media Law (2011, 12th ed.). Cengage Learning: p. 573.

[1] David Mark, Going Dirty: The Art of Negative Campaigning (2009). Rowman & Littlefield: pp. 159–160.
- John F. Bibby and Brian F. Schaffner, Politics, Parties, and Elections in America (2007). Cengage Learning: p. 266.
- Sarah A. Binder and Paul J. Quirk, The Legislative Branch (2006). Oxford University Press: pp. 139–140.

[2] Dennis W. Johnson, Campaigning in the Twenty-First Century: A Whole New Ballgame? (2011). Taylor & Francis: p. 35.
- Wayne Overbeck and Genelle Belmas, Major Principles of Media Law (2011, 12th ed.). Cengage Learning: p. 573.

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