Growth of Political Action Committees

Growth in PACs, 1974 to 1995

The figure, the growth of action committees, shows the growth in the number of federally registered
political action committees (PACs) since they were first authorized in the early 1970s.
Federal Election Committee data on PACs and PAC spending.
For years before the enactment of campaign finance reform,
labor unions had established political action committees as a means to organize voters and support candidates favorable to labor.
The Congress legalized PACs in the early 1970s
as part of a package of campaign finance reforms.
Initially, relatively few segments of society created PACs.
In the following years, more and more groups and individuals have created PACs.
For a list of "powerful" interest groups see Forbes "The Power 25"
One of the best known today is GOPAC, which Former governor of Delaware Pierre DuPont helped establish and is now one of Speaker Newt Gingrich's main allies.
Note that most PACs now represent corporations or organizations such as trade, health, environmental, ideological groups.
Christian Coalition

H. T,. Reynolds
htr@udel.edu