Political Action Committees (PACs)

Definition

PACs are organizations that pool campaign contributions from members with similar policy goals and donate those funds to campaign for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.

Related terms

Super PACs: These are independent expenditure-only committees that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals but cannot donate directly to parties or candidates.

527 Organizations: Named after Section 527 of IRS code; these groups can accept unlimited financial contributions and engage in political activities provided they do not expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a particular candidate.

Interest Groups: These are organizations that use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and/or policy.