PACs and Super PACs

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There are several different political organizations that influence elections in the United States on a federal and a state level. These organizations can take the form of Political Action Committees (PACs), Super PACs, or 501(c) groups.

Super PACs
Read more about super PACs and the super PACs covered on Ballotpedia.

Political action committees

See also: Political action committee

Political Action Committees (PACs) are political committees established and administered by corporations, labor unions, membership organizations, or trade associations. The general definition is a group that spends money on elections but is not run by a party or individual candidate. However, PACs can donate money to parties or candidates they support. These committees raise funds either from individuals associated with the corporation (Separate Segregated Funds) or from any individuals who wish to contribute to the committee (Nonconnected PACs). Nonconnected PACs are financially independent and pay for themselves via the contributions they raise. Separate segregated funds are funded by the organization they are associated with.

In addition, PACs can be broken down into multi-candidate and non multi-candidate categories.

Multi-candidate PACs

Multi-candidate PACs are those that:

• have over 50 contributors;
• have been registered with the FEC for at least 6 months; and
• (excluding state party committees) have donated to at least five federal office candidates.

Multi-candidate PACs can contribute:

• $5,000 to each candidate or candidate committee per election
• $15,000 to the national party committee per calendar year
• $5,000 (combined limit) to state, district, and local party committee per calendar year
• $5,000 to any other political committee per calendar year

Non multi-candidate PACs

Non multi-candidate PACs can contribute:

• $2,600 to each candidate or candidate committee per election (indexed for inflation)
• $32,400 to national party committee per calendar year (indexed for inflation)
• $10,000 (combined limit) to state, district, and local party committee per calendar year
• $5,000 to any other political committee per calendar year

Super PACs

See also: Super PAC

Super PACs are also known as Independent Expenditures Only Committees (IEOCs). These PACs can accept unlimited contributions and spend an unlimited amount supporting or opposing federal election candidates, but they cannot directly donate to federal candidates or parties.

501(c)(3)

See also: 501(c)(3)

501(c)(3) groups refer to the IRS code in which their income tax exemptions are defined. The code defines these groups as: "charitable, religious, educational, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition, and preventing cruelty to children or animals."

501(c)(3) groups cannot engage in political campaigning the way that PACs and super PACs can. They cannot contribute monetarily to campaigns, nor can they endorse candidates or parties. 501(c)(3) groups can engage in nonpartisan activities that encourage political engagement, such as voter registration drives.

501(c)(4)

See also: 501(c)(4)

501(c)(4) groups refer to the IRS code in which their income tax exemptions are defined. The code defines these groups as civic leagues and social welfare organizations. These groups can engage in limited political activity, but politics cannot comprise the group's primary activity.

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