This chapter explores the patterns and traditions of the financing of political parties, candidates and election campaigns in liberal democracies around the globe. It pays attention to the various practices in different countries and regions, addressing the differences between party-based vs. candidate based systems, as well as between party organization vs. campaign-oriented systems. It includes a comparative discussion of various legal frameworks of party and election finance and the principles underpinning different regulatory regimes. The chapter addresses key issues in current debates on party and campaign finance, including in particular the increased importance of public funding in most advanced industrial democracies, and issues of corruption and transparency.