PAC Activity in the 2012 Election
Before You Begin
1. What political party do you think these groups will favor?
a. National Association of Realtors
b. National Beer Wholesalers Assn.
c. National Auto Dealers Assn.
d. Plumbers/Pipefitters Union
e. American Federation of Teachers
f. Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Top 20 PAC Contributors to Candidates, 2011-2012
2. Were your guesses above correct?
3. Of the 20 groups, how many donated more money to Democrats? To Republicans?
4. Choose one of the PACs. Why do you think it donated more money to that party in 2012?
Leadership PACs
5. What are leadership PACs?
6. Why would politicians donate to leadership PACs?
7. Why didn’t any of the PACs in the table donate to both parties?
8. Of the names listed as affiliates of the PACs, which do you recognize? What does this tell you about leadership PACs?
9. How many of the Leadership PACs sponsored Democrats? Republicans?
Super PACs
10. What is the goal of Super PACs?
11. How are Super PACs different from traditional PACs?
12. How much money was raised by Restore Our Future and American Crossroads?
13. What are 5 groups that likely supported Obama in 2012? Why do you suspect they would have supported him?
14. What are 5 groups that likely supported Romney in 2012? Why do you suspect they would have supported him?
Final Analysis
15. How do you think PACs impact elections?
16. How do you think PACs influence policy and officials?
17. Do you think there should be limits on campaign finance? Why?
Top 20 PAC Contributors to Candidates, 2011-2012
PAC Name / Total Amount / Dem. Pct / Repub. PctNational Assn of Realtors / $3,960,282 / 44% / 55%
National Beer Wholesalers Assn / $3,388,500 / 41% / 59%
Honeywell International / $3,193,024 / 41% / 59%
Operating Engineers Union / $3,186,387 / 84% / 15%
National Auto Dealers Assn / $3,074,000 / 28% / 72%
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers / $2,853,000 / 97% / 2%
American Bankers Assn / $2,736,150 / 20% / 80%
AT&T Inc / $2,543,000 / 35% / 65%
American Assn for Justice / $2,512,500 / 96% / 3%
Credit Union National Assn / $2,487,600 / 47% / 52%
Plumbers/Pipefitters Union / $2,420,150 / 95% / 5%
Blue Cross/Blue Shield / $2,401,398 / 35% / 65%
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees / $2,279,140 / 99% / 1%
Lockheed Martin / $2,258,000 / 41% / 59%
Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union / $2,173,500 / 98% / 1%
American Federation of Teachers / $2,171,644 / 99% / 0%
Senate Conservatives Fund / $2,113,229 / 0% / 100%
Laborers Union / $2,087,500 / 85% / 15%
Every Republican is Crucial PAC / $2,086,000 / 0% / 100%
Teamsters Union / $2,055,410 / 96% / 4%
Totals include subsidiaries and affiliated PACs, if any.
*For ease of identification, the names used in this section are those of the organization connected with the PAC, rather than the official PAC name. For example, the "Coca-Cola Company Nonpartisan Committee for Good Government" is simply listed as "Coca-Cola Co."
Based on data released by the FEC on March 25, 2013.
Leadership PACs
Politicians collect money for their own campaigns — we all know that. But many of them also raise a separate pot of money, commonly called a leadership political action committee, to help other politicians. By making donations to members of their party, ambitious lawmakers can use their leadership PACs to gain clout among their colleagues and boost their bids for leadership posts or committee chairmanships. Politicians also use leadership PACs to lay the groundwork for their own campaigns for higher office. And some use their PACs to hire additional staff—sometimes even their family members—and to travel around the country or eat in some of Washington's finest restaurants. The limits on how a politician can spend leadership PAC money are not especially strict.
PAC Contributions to Federal Candidates
Top of Form
Election cycle: 2012
Total Amount: / $46,419,254Total to Democrats: / $17,713,353 / (38%)
Total to Republicans: / $28,638,901 / (62%)
Number of PACs making contributions: / 456
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
PAC Name / Affiliate / Total / Dems / Repubs /Senate Conservatives Fund / $2,113,229 / $0 / $2,113,229
Every Republican is Crucial PAC / Eric Cantor (R-Va) / $2,086,000 / $0 / $2,086,000
Freedom Project / John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) / $1,725,000 / $0 / $1,725,000
AmeriPAC: The Fund for a Greater America / Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) / $1,448,000 / $1,448,000 / $0
Majority Cmte PAC / Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) / $1,206,921 / $0 / $1,206,921
BRIDGE PAC / James E. Clyburn (D-SC) / $967,000 / $967,000 / $0
Prosperity PAC / Paul Ryan (R-Wis) / $867,529 / $0 / $867,529
Continuing a Majority Party Action Cmte / Dave Camp (R-Mich) / $814,718 / $0 / $814,718
PAC to the Future / Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) / $814,500 / $814,500 / $0
Jobs, Economy & Budget Fund / Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) / $651,719 / $0 / $651,719
Jobs, Opportunities & Education PAC / Joseph Crowley (D-NY) / $527,500 / $527,500 / $0
Super PACs
Super PACs are a new kind of political action committee created in July 2010 following the outcome of a federal court case known as SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission.
Technically known as independent expenditure-only committees, Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates. Super PACs must, however, report their donors to the Federal Election Commission on a monthly or quarterly basis -- the Super PAC's choice -- as a traditional PAC would. Unlike traditional PACs, Super PACs are prohibited from donating money directly to political candidates.
As of October 08, 2014, 1,310 groups organized as Super PACs have reported total receipts of $828,224,700 and total independent expenditures of $609,417,654 in the 2012 cycle.
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Group / Supports/Opposes / IndependentExpenditures / Viewpoint / Total Raised /
Restore Our Future / supports Romney / $142,097,336 / Conservative / $153,741,731
American Crossroads / $104,746,670 / Conservative / $117,472,407
Priorities USA Action / supports Obama / $65,166,859 / Liberal / $79,050,419
Majority PAC / $37,498,257 / Liberal / $42,121,541
House Majority PAC / $30,470,122 / Liberal / $35,844,951
Freedomworks for America / $19,636,548 / Conservative / $23,453,198
Winning Our Future / supports Gingrich / $17,007,762 / Conservative / $23,921,705
Club for Growth Action / $16,584,207 / Conservative / $18,253,913
Ending Spending Action Fund / $13,250,766 / Conservative / $14,169,830
Congressional Leadership Fund / $9,450,223 / Conservative / $11,286,590
Independence USA PAC / $8,230,454 / Liberal / $10,004,235
Now or Never PAC / $7,760,174 / Conservative / $8,250,500
Women Vote! / $7,749,991 / Liberal / $9,834,165
Planned Parenthood Votes / $5,039,082 / Liberal / $6,446,014
National Right to Life Victory Fund / $1,320,926 / Conservative / $1,764,929
AP US Government & Politics: Unit 3 – Interest Groups, Political Parties, & Mass Media