ABSTRACT
The National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC) is one of the oldest and most influential liberal PACs. Founded in 1948 to help liberal candidates get elected to, or remain in, the U.S. Senate, the committee has drastically altered its philosophy, mission, and election activities in recent years. It has changed from an independent bipartisan PAC to a staunchly pro-Democratic organization that works closely with Democratic candidates and party committees. It has broadened the scope of its mission to include the election of Democratic House candidates. It has greatly scaled back the amount of cash it contributes to candidates and has become one of the most important providers of “in-kind” technical assistance to Democratic candidates and party committees. Once heralded as one of the premier vehicles for translating ideology into electoral action, the NCEC has become a highly integrated and pragmatic player in Democratic campaign politics. 1
