Watch the VideoA PAC, Political Action Committee, is a political organization that pools contributions and donates that money to a campaign. Traditional PACs are tied to businesses, labor unions, or ideological interests. They have been around since the 1940s, and are regulated by the Federal Elections Commission. The amount of money a PAC can give to an election – directly to a candidate or to influence legislation is no more than $15,000 annually and is capped at $5,000 per candidate.
Super PACs, created in 2010 in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and known to the FEC as “independent-expenditure only committees,” have significantly changed the money landscape.
Steve Phillips is the co-founder of PowerPac.org, a social justice organization committed to building long-term political infrastructure for underrepresented communities. He speaks about the three factors influencing the outcomes of national elections: PACs, Super PACs, and demographic shifts.
