PACs and Super PACs 1 What is a

PACs and Super PACs 1

What is a PAC? • Political Action Committee • Formed to give money to candidates in order to influence their political decisions. • Campaign finance reform in 1973: -1. Contribution limits -2. Legal for corporations and unions to form PACs • Number of PACs exploded, as did the money they spent on congressional candidates. 2

Does money buy influence? • Breakdown of PACs – Over ½ corporations – A tenth by unions – Rest by various groups • Ideological PACs are fastest growing – Raise more, spend less (? ) • Important facts: -typical contributions are small (few hundred to House members) -PACs spread money across many candidates -very little statistical evidence to support notion that money 3 buys votes

Super PACs • “Independent-expenditure only committee” • May spend unlimited money on political causes, but NOT on individual campaigns • No legal limit on donations • Candidates and Super PAC managers can discuss strategy through the media • Generally funded by wealthy individuals (more than corporations) • Created by two Court decisions (2010): – Citizens United vs. Federal Election Committee – Speechnow. org vs. FEC 4

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How are PACs and Super PACs different? • PACs have limits for contributors, Super PACs do not. • PACs give directly to candidates, Super PACs provide indirect assistance. 6