PACs

(noun)

A political action committee (PAC) is any organization in the United States that campaigns for or against political candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.

Related Terms

Examples of PACs in the following topics:

  • PACs and Campaigns

    • At the state level, an organization becomes a PAC according to the state's election laws.
    • The FECA and the FEC's rules provide for the following: Individuals are limited to contributing $5,000 per year to Federal PACs; corporations and unions may not contribute directly to federal PACs, but can pay for the administrative costs of a PAC affiliated with the specific corporation or union; Corporate-affiliated PACs may only solicit contributions from executives, shareholders, and their families.
    • Federal law allows for two types of PACs, connected and non-connected.
    • Most of the 4,600 active, registered PACs are "connected PACs" established by businesses, labor unions, trade groups, or health organizations.
    • Super PACs may support particular candidacies.

  • Interest Groups, Lobbyists, and PACs

    • These groups pool donations to redistribute to candidates, parties, and other PACs.
    • While PACs have existed since the 1940s, the 2010 SpeechNow.org v.
    • Before the campaigns even ended, the Super PACs had outspent the top ten PACs from 2008 by at least tenfold.
    • A large majority of Super PAC donations also come from wealthy individual donors.
    • By October 2012, the top 100 individual Super PAC donors donated 80% of all Super PAC funds, yet made up fewer than 4% of all donors.

  • Transpositional Symmetry

    • move to and establish a secondary key by means of a strong cadence (PAC), called the essential expositional closure (EEC); and
    • As in small ternary form, the exposition tends to end with a PAC in a secondary key (V:PAC in a major-key movement, III:PAC or v:PAC in a minor-key movement).
    • This PAC is called the essential expositional closure, or EEC.
    • This I:PAC is called the essential sonata closure, or ESC.
    • Both PACs and HCs, in the home key or in a secondary key, can function as medial caesurae.

  • Intervallic Structure

    • A third-level default would be V:PAC MC or III:PAC MC.
    • A fourth-level default would be a I:PAC MC.
    • Often the strongest PAC in the dominant is not the EEC.
    • It is not optional, and it is always in the home key—a I:PAC.
    • A fully closed P theme will end with an authentic cadence, preferably a PAC.

  • Modular 12 Arithmetic

    • Just as in a regular period, the first theme ends in a weak cadence (most often HC) and the second theme ends in a strong(er) cadence (most often PAC).
    • The first type of compound period is comprised of two sentences: the first ends with an HC or (less frequently) an IAC, and the second ends with a PAC.
    • Also, note that though the theme modulates, the second cadence, a PAC in the key of the dominant, is stronger than the first cadence, a HC in the home key.
    • For the purposes of antecedent-consequent relationships, a PAC is always stronger than a HC or IAC, even if it is in another key.

  • Classical Cadence Types

    • These distinctions do not replace the above PAC/IAC/HC distinctions; rather they add another level of detail that is particularly helpful in model composition.
    • The simple cadence can be used in a PAC, IAC, or HC construction, though the seventh-chord version is typically only found in authentic cadences.
    • The 4–3 suspension can occur over the cadential dominant of a PAC, IAC, or HC.
    • The cadential six-four can occur over the cadential dominant of a PAC, IAC, or HC.
    • In strict melodic keyboard style, always end an idealized phrase with a perfect authentic cadence (PAC).

  • Sources of Campaign Funding

    • Federal law allows for multiple types of Political Action Committees, including connected PACs, nonconnected PACs, leadership PACs and Super PACs. 501(c)(4) organizations are defined by the IRS as "social welfare" organizations.
    • Technically, almost all political committees, including state, local, and federal candidate committees, traditional political action committees, "Super PACs", and political parties are "527s. " However, in common practice the term is usually applied only to such organizations that are not regulated under state or federal campaign finance laws because they do not "expressly advocate" for the election or defeat of a candidate or party.

  • Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

    • In the 2012 presidential election, super PACs have played a major role, spending more than the candidates' election campaigns in the Republican primaries.
    • As of early April 2012, Restore Our Future—a Super PAC usually described as having been created to help Mitt Romney's presidential campaign—has spent $40 million.
    • Federal Election Commission has often been credited for the creation of "super PACs", political action committees which make no contributions to candidates or parties and so can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, and unions.
    • In the 2012 presidential election, super PACs have played a major role, spending more than the candidates' election campaigns in the Republican primaries.
    • As of early April 2012, Restore Our Future—a Super PAC usually described as having been created to help Mitt Romney's presidential campaign—has spent $40 million.

  • The General Election Campaign

    • In recent years, PACs or political action committees, have arisen to amass large funds and produce campaign advertisements on behalf of their favored candidates.
    • A 2010 Supreme Court decision in the case known as Citizens United further paved the way for PACs to exert a large influence in general elections.
    • According to Citizens United, contributions to PACs are not limited so long as the PACs are not directly affiliated with a candidate.
    • Consequently, the 2012 election has witnessed a rise of "super-PACs," political action committees with unprecedented purchasing power who have produced numerous expensive TV and print ads.

  • The Federal Election Campaign Act

    • According to FECA, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.
    • A political action committee(PAC) is any organization in the United States that campaigns for or against political candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
    • According to the FECA, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.
    • Following reports of serious financial abuses in the 1972 Presidential campaign, Congress amended the FECA in 1974 to set limits on contributions by individuals, political parties, and PACs.