In the US, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect or defeat government officials or to promote or defeat legislation. A 527 group is a type of American Tax-exempt organization named after a section of the United States tax code,. Campaign finance in the United States is the financing of electoral campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels. Campaign finance reform is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in Politics, primarily in Political " Energy Lobby " is the Umbrella term used to name the paid representatives of large oil gas coal and electric utilities corporations who attempt to influence governmental Agriculture is a major industry in the United States and the country is a net exporter of food Health care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities Labor unions in the United States function as legally recognized representatives of workers in numerous industries Software lobbying groups aim to influence a government's technology policy decisions on behalf of their members Overview Road transportation In comparison to most of the Western world, the United States relies much more Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss Abortion in the United States is a highly-charged issue involving significant political and ethical debate In the United States today the organized Environmental movement is represented by a wide range of organizations sometimes called Non-governmental organizations or In the US, a Political Action Committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group regardless of size organized to elect political candidates The foreign policy of the United States is highly influential on the world stage as it is a Superpower. Gun politics in the United States, incorporating the political aspects of Gun politics, and firearms rights has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues The Israel lobby in the United States is a term used to describe the loose coalition of groups and individuals who attempt to influence American foreign policy in support of Israel and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a matter of state and federal law. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, an organization becomes a "political committee" by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 ( FECA,, et seq) is a United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal

When an interest group gets directly involved within the political process, a PAC is created. These PACs receive and raise money from the special group's constituents, and on behalf of the special interest, makes donations to political campaigns.

• See also List of political action committees. This list of political action committees is organized by the nature of each particular PAC 's work

Contributions by individuals to federal PACs are limited to $5000. Corporations and unions may not contribute to federal PACs, though they may pay for the administrative costs of a PAC affiliated with the specific corporation or union. Corporate and union affiliated PACs may only solicit contributions from executives, shareholders and their families (in the case of corporations) or members (in the case of unions). "Independent" PACs not affiliated with a corporation or union may solicit contributions from the general public but must pay their operating costs from these regulated contributions.

Federal Multi-candidate PACs are limited in the amount of money they can contribute to other organizations:

• at most $5,000 per candidate per election. Elections such as primaries, general elections and special elections are counted separately.
• at most $15,000 per political party per year.
• at most $5,000 per PAC per year.

Under federal law, PACs are not limited in their ability to spend money independently of a candidate campaign.

Categorization of PACs

Political Money Line

PoliticalMoneyLine uses the following categories for PACs (The latest totals are available here):

• Agriculture
• Business - Retail, Services
• Communication, Technology
• City/County
• Defense
• Energy, Natural Resources
• Finance, Insurance
• Foreign Countries
• Health Care
• Organized Labor
• Law
• Manufacturing
• Public Employees
• Real Estate/Construction
• Transportation
• Miscellaneous
• Undetermined

Leadership PAC

A leadership PAC in U.S. politics is a political action committee that can be established by a member of Congress to support other candidates. Agriculture is a major industry in the United States and the country is a net exporter of food The United States came into being around the Age of Enlightenment (circa 1680 to 1800 a period in which writers and thinkers rejected the Superstitions of the past The energy policy of the United States is determined by federal state and local public entities in the United States, which address issues of energy production distribution The foreign policy of the United States is highly influential on the world stage as it is a Superpower. Health care in the United States is provided by many separate legal entities Labor unions in the United States function as legally recognized representatives of workers in numerous industries Overview Road transportation In comparison to most of the Western world, the United States relies much more Politics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, Federal republic where the President of the United States (the Head of The funds cannot be spent to directly support the owner of the PAC's own campaign (such as mail or ads), but may fund travel and make contributions to other campaigns. During the 2006 election cycle, 256 leadership PACs contributed over $37 million to federal candidates. ^[1]

Controversial use of Leadership PACs

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi's leadership PAC, Team Majority, was fined $21,000 by federal election officials "for improperly accepting donations over federal limits. Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26 1940 is the current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. "^[2]
• Rep. John Doolittle's leadership PAC, Superior California Federal Leadership Fund, pays his wife's single-person company, Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions, 15 percent of all money raised ($68,630 in 2003-2004, $224,000 in 2005-2006). This page is about the politician for the fictional animal doctor see Doctor Dolittle. A campaign committee report in February said Doolittle's campaign still owed Julie Doolittle $137,000. ^[3] The PAC also has purchased $2,139 in gifts for Bose Corporation. ^[4]
• Rep. Richard Pombo has used his leadership PAC to pay hotel bills ($22,896) and baseball tickets ($320) for donors. Richard William Pombo (born January 8 1961) is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, having represented ^[5]

2004 Presidential election

In the 2004 elections, the top 10 PACs by money spent by themselves, their affiliates and subsidiaries were as follows:

1. EMILY's List $22,767,521
2. Service Employees International Union $12,899,352
3. American Federation of Teachers $12,789,296
4. American Medical Association $11,901,542
5. National Rifle Association $11,173,358
6. Teamsters Union $11,128,729
7. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $10,819,724
8. National Education Association $10,521,538
9. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees $9,882,022
10. Laborers' International Union of North America $9,523,837

See also

• Politics of the United States
• Lobbying in the United States
• Soft money
• 527 group

References

1. ^ Opensecrets: Leadership PACs, Retrieved on January 23 2007. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " EMILY's List is a Political action committee (PAC in the United States that aims to help elect female candidates who are pro-choice to office Service Employees International Union ( SEIU) is a labor union representing more than 2 million workers In Florida a high-profile strike at the University of Miami Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The American Federation of Teachers or AFT is an American labor union The American Medical Association (AMA founded in 1847 and incorporated 1897 is the largest association of Physicians and Medical students in the United States The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit ( 501(c(4) group dedicated to the protection of the Second Amendment of the TemplateInfobox Union for usage-->The International Brotherhood of Teamsters ( IBT) formerly known by the Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW is a labor union The National Education Association ( NEA) is the largest professional organization in the United States, representing Public school Teachers and The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees ( AFSCME) is the second- or third-largest labor union in the United States and one Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The Laborers' International Union of North America ( LIUNA, often shortened Politics of the United States takes place in the framework of a presidential, Federal republic where the President of the United States (the Head of Lobbying in the United States targets the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures Lobbyists may also represent Campaign finance in the United States is the financing of electoral campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels. A 527 group is a type of American Tax-exempt organization named after a section of the United States tax code,.
2. ^ USATODAY.com - Pelosi PAC fined $21,000 by federal elections officials
3. ^ Politics - FBI raids Doolittle house - sacbee.com
4. ^ Political Action Committees
5. ^ Lawmaker Criticized for PAC Fees Paid to Wife - washingtonpost.com

External links

• PoliticalMoneyLine
• Campaign Guide for Corporations and Labor Organizations
• Campaign Guide for Nonconnected Committees
• Money in Politics Data