PACs (Political Action Committees): Organizations that pool campaign contributions from members and donate those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
Super PACs: A type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute directly to parties or candidates.
Citizens United v. FEC: A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that corporations and unions could spend unlimited amounts of money on political activities if it was done independently of a party or candidate.