ABSTRACT
P olitical action committees (PACs) are organi-zations that pool campaign contributions fromthe members of an interest group and donate them to candidates for political office. PAC contributions are part of an interest group’s overall effort to gain access to, lobby, and influence elected officials. PACs have existed for several decades, but only since the mid 1970s have they been a major force in political campaigns as well as a target for critics and reformers of campaign finance laws.
