PACs and Super PACs: Fundraising Powerhouses - U.S. Elections Series | Academy 4 Social Change

A political action committee, also known as a PAC, is a group of people organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Generally, PACs represent ideological, business, or labor interests. An organization is recognized as a PAC when it receives or spends more than one thousand dollars to influence a federal election and registers with the Federal Election Commission. A Super PAC, technically defined as an “independent expenditure-only political action committee,” can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against candidates. Unlike regular PACs, super PACs cannot donate money directly to candidates, but they can work on their behalf. **Find a transcript, lesson plans, worksheets, and more at: https://academy4sc.org/topic/pacs-and... **Think Further Questions: 1. How do PAC raising and spending limits keep the electoral process fair? Is it fair that super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money? 2. Why might the existence of PACs make it difficult for less well-known candidates to enter politics? 3. How might political fundraising look different if the federal government decided to forbid PACs from working on behalf of campaigns altogether? **Contents 00:00 - Introduction 00:28 - Background 00:47 - Political Action Committees 01:22 - The History 02:23 - How It Works 03:12 - So What? #academy4sc #civicseducation #elections