1、Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code 98-255 GOVUpdated July 11, 2003Political Action Committees: Their Role inFinancing Congressional Elections-name- re dacted-Specialist in American National GovernmentGovernment and Fina
2、nce DivisionSummaryPolitical action committees, or PACs, are legal entities through which interestgroups raise and spend money in elections. They constitute one of four major sourcesoffundscontributedtocongressionalcampaigns,alongwithindividualcitizens,politicalparties,andcandidates.While PACs proli
3、feratedandbecameanissueinthe1970sand1980s, interest groups have long played a major role in funding American elections.Thetermpoliticalactioncommitteeiscolloquialanddoesnotappearinfederallaw,and corresponds with two legal expressionsseparate segregated fund and politicalcommitteedependingon whethert
4、hePAC is affiliated with a sponsoringorganization.Of the 4,027 PACs registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) at theend of 2002, 74% were separate segregated funds.Such a fund is essentially abookkeepingarrangement,whereinanorganizationprohibitedbylawfrommakingdirectcampaigndonationsfrom
