Isabella Carter
OpenSecrets is a research group that tracks the flow of money in American politics, including Political Action Committees (PACs). PACs are political committees that collect and direct funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. They are classified by their interests, which can be ideological, business, or labor. OpenSecrets provides data on the biggest PACs, their donors, and how the money is spent, including campaign expenditures and lobbying activity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Political Action Committee (PAC) is a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. |
| Types | Hybrid PAC, Super PAC, Leadership PAC, Non-connected PAC, Connected PAC, Corporate PAC |
| Donors | Businesses, non-profits, labor unions, trade groups, health organizations, individuals |
| Donations | PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election and $15,000 annually to a national party committee. They may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC, or party committee per year. |
| Registration | A PAC must register with the FEC within 10 days of its formation, providing the name and address of the PAC, its treasurer, and any connected organizations. |
| Data | OpenSecrets provides data on campaign contributions and lobbying activity from corporations, trade associations, labor unions, nonprofits, and advocacy groups. |
| Mission | To track the flow of money in American politics and provide data and analysis to strengthen democracy. |
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What You'll Learn
- Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees that raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates
- PACs collect contributions from employees or members and direct them to candidates and party committees
- PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election and receive up to $5,000 from any individual per year
- OpenSecrets tracks the flow of money in American politics to strengthen democracy
- OpenSecrets provides data on outside spending by party committees, super PACs, and dark money groups
Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees that raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates
Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees that pool campaign contributions from members and donate those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. PACs are typically formed to represent business, labour, or ideological interests by individuals who wish to privately raise money to donate to a political campaign. The first PAC was formed in 1944 to raise money for the re-election of then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt's PAC money came from voluntary contributions from union members, thus not violating the Smith-Connally Act of 1943, which forbade unions from contributing to federal candidates.
PACs are entities that collect campaign contributions from members and donate them to political campaigns. There are many different forms of PACs, each with specific rules about how they can fundraise and what they must disclose. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general, or special), $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. They may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC, or party committee per calendar year. A PAC must register with the FEC within 10 days of its formation, providing the name and address of the PAC, its treasurer, and any connected organizations.
One notable example of a PAC is a Super PAC, which can receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, and other PACs. While Super PAC funds cannot be donated directly to a campaign, managers and political candidates can collaborate and discuss strategy. Since their inception, Super PACs have quickly grown to be a hugely influential force in American politics. In the 2012 Republican primaries, Super PACs spent more money than individual candidates' campaigns. The majority of this money was donated by individuals rather than businesses.
Another type of PAC is a Leadership PAC, which is often formed by politicians who aspire to higher office or more influence within their political party. They raise funds and disburse them to the campaigns of other candidates. Hybrid PACs are political committees with non-contribution accounts that solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labour organizations, and other political committees. They maintain a separate bank account that is subject to all statutory amount limitations and source prohibitions and is permitted to make contributions to federal candidates.
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PACs collect contributions from employees or members and direct them to candidates and party committees
Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees that are formed to raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates. They are also known to contribute to party committees. PACs collect voluntary contributions from employees or members, which are directed towards candidates and party committees. These contributions are limited to $5,000 per candidate committee per election and $5,000 per year to other PACs. Additionally, they can give up to $15,000 annually to national party committees.
PACs have been in existence since 1944, when the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the first one to support President Franklin D. Roosevelt's re-election campaign. The Roosevelt PAC's funding came from voluntary contributions by union members, adhering to the Smith-Connally Act of 1943, which prohibited unions from contributing to federal candidates.
There are different types of PACs, including separate segregated funds (SSFs), nonconnected committees, and Super PACs. SSFs are political committees formed by corporations, labour unions, membership organisations, or trade associations. They can only solicit contributions from individuals associated with the sponsoring organisation. Conversely, nonconnected committees are independent entities that can solicit contributions from the general public. Super PACs, on the other hand, can receive unlimited contributions from various entities, including individuals, corporations, and other PACs, to finance independent expenditures and political activities.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) imposes regulations on PACs, such as registration requirements and prohibitions on certain types of contributions. For instance, PACs are prohibited from accepting contributions from federal government contractors, foreign nationals, or corporations and labour organisations in connection with federal elections.
OpenSecrets is an organisation that tracks the flow of money in American politics. They provide data and analysis on the influence of money in politics, including contributions made by PACs to candidates and committees. Their mission is to strengthen democracy by promoting transparency in political funding.
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PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election and receive up to $5,000 from any individual per year
Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees that are formed to raise and spend money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labour or ideological interests.
PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special) and can give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee. They can also give $5,000 annually to any other PAC. In addition, PACs may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC or party committee per calendar year.
PACs have been in existence since 1944, when the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the first one to raise money for the re-election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Roosevelt PAC's money came from voluntary contributions from union members, which did not violate the Smith-Connally Act of 1943, forbidding unions from contributing to federal candidates.
PACs must register with the FEC within 10 days of their formation, providing the name and address of the PAC, its treasurer and any connected organizations.
OpenSecrets is a source of data on the flow of money in American politics. Its mission is to track the flow of money and provide data and analysis to strengthen democracy. It offers in-depth analyses of money and politics, workshops and training on money-in-politics data, and exclusive data on outside spending by party committees, super PACs and "dark money" groups.
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OpenSecrets tracks the flow of money in American politics to strengthen democracy
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation that tracks the flow of money in American politics. It provides data and analysis on political donations, specifically those made by political action committees (PACs) and super PACs. PACs are organisations that pool campaign contributions from their members and donate those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. They are also known as "hybrid PACs" or "Carey Committees".
OpenSecrets' mission is to strengthen democracy by providing transparency and accountability in political financing. The organisation offers in-depth analyses, workshops, and training on money-in-politics data. It also provides profiles on current issues and important topics related to political financing.
The website allows users to dig into data on outside spending by party committees, super PACs, and "dark money" groups. It also includes information on individual, corporate, and union contributions to these groups. OpenSecrets maintains a list of the largest PACs by election cycle.
PACs can receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC, or party committee per calendar year. They can give up to $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general, or special) and up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee. PACs must register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) within 10 days of their formation, providing their name, address, treasurer, and any connected organisations.
OpenSecrets also tracks ideological/single-issue PAC contributions to candidates. These PACs are formed by groups with an ideological mission, single-issue groups, and members of Congress or other political leaders. The broadest classification of political donors separates them into business, labour, or ideological interests.
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OpenSecrets provides data on outside spending by party committees, super PACs, and dark money groups
OpenSecrets is a non-profit organisation that tracks money in US politics and its influence on elections and public policy. It is funded entirely by donations. It provides data on outside spending by party committees, super PACs, and dark money groups.
Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees that raise and spend money to elect and defeat candidates. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election and can receive up to $5,000 from any one individual, PAC, or party committee per calendar year. They have been around since 1944 and must register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) within 10 days of their formation.
Super PACs are technically known as independent expenditure committees. They can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money and accept contributions from companies, nonprofits, unions, and individuals. They are required to disclose their donors to the FEC, but the ultimate source of their funding can sometimes be concealed.
Dark money groups are organisations that spend millions of dollars on elections without revealing where their money comes from. They are only required to report their spending if they mention a candidate during a brief period before Election Day or spend money on express advocacy that explicitly supports a candidate.
OpenSecrets provides data on outside spending by these groups, allowing users to search campaign expenditures, trace donations to politicians and committees at the federal and state levels, and explore the influence of entire industries and economic sectors. The website also offers in-depth analyses, workshops, and training on money-in-politics data.
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Frequently asked questions
PAC stands for Political Action Committee. It is a political committee that collects and spends money to elect or defeat candidates.
The purpose of a PAC is to raise and spend money on campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
A PAC can give up to $5,000 to a candidate committee per election. They can also give up to $15,000 annually to a national party committee and $5,000 annually to another PAC.
A super PAC is a type of PAC that can make unlimited independent expenditures but can only give limited amounts of money directly to campaigns and committees.
Ideological PACs OpenSecrets is a website that tracks the flow of money in American politics, including contributions from ideological groups to Political Action Committees (PACs). It provides data and analysis on the influence of money in politics to strengthen democracy.
