A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a type of organization in the United States that raises and spends money to elect or defeat candidates, or to influence legislation and ballot initiatives. PACs are regulated primarily by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 and its amendments, and are overseen at the federal level by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), established in 1974.
There are several distinct categories:
- Connected PACs (also called separate segregated funds) are sponsored by corporations, labor unions, or trade associations, and may solicit contributions only from a restricted class (e.g., employees or members).
- Non-connected PACs are independent ideological or issue-based committees that may solicit from the general public.
- Leadership PACs are established by current or former officeholders to support other candidates and build political networks.
- Super PACs, formally independent-expenditure-only committees, emerged after the D.C. Circuit's 2010 decision in SpeechNow.org v. FEC, which followed the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. FEC (2010). They may raise unlimited sums from individuals, corporations, and unions but are barred from contributing directly to candidates or coordinating with their campaigns.
Traditional (non-super) PACs face contribution caps: individuals may give a limited annual amount to a PAC, and the PAC may in turn give a capped sum per election to a federal candidate. These limits are periodically adjusted by the FEC.
PACs must register with the FEC once they cross a spending or receipts threshold and file regular disclosure reports listing donors and expenditures. Critics argue PACs—especially Super PACs and affiliated 501(c)(4) "dark money" groups—amplify wealthy donors' influence, while defenders frame them as protected associational speech under the First Amendment. PACs are a distinctly American vehicle; other democracies typically regulate campaign finance through party-based systems and stricter spending caps.
Example
In the 2020 US election cycle, the Super PAC Senate Majority PAC, aligned with Democratic Senate leadership, reported hundreds of millions of dollars in independent expenditures to the FEC.
Frequently asked questions
A traditional PAC can donate directly to candidates but faces strict contribution limits. A Super PAC can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, and unions but cannot give directly to candidates or coordinate with their campaigns.
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