AP US Government : Political Action Committees
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Special Interests And Mass Media
Which of these groups is most likely to be supported by a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
Candidates challenging an incumbent
Conservative Federal Judges
Incumbents seeking reelection
Liberal Federal Judges
A religious figure
Incumbents seeking reelection
Political Action Committees are most likely to support an incumbent seeking reelection. Political Actions Committees are groups set up to ensure the election of one candidate over another.
Example Question #2 : Special Interests And Mass Media
Which of the options listed below is not one of the most prevalent reasons why PACs choose to give money to a particular candidate?
The candidate supports the same issue(s) as the PAC
The candidate is from a region or state where the PAC is also located
The candidate is a new politician and is running against an incumbent candidate
The candidate is on a committee which handles matters relevant to the PAC’s concerns
The candidate is a new politician and is running against an incumbent candidate
PACs give money to political campaigns for a variety of reasons but when faced with an election between an incumbent and a new candidate, PACs time and again overwhelmingly choose to sponsor the incumbent. Statistically speaking, incumbents are more likely to win re-election, even when faced with a seemingly intriguing new opponent. PACs therefore view incumbent candidates as sound investment opportunities– if a PAC’s monetary gift is able to help an incumbent retain their position, then the PAC has automatically gained a friend and potential ally who may later reciprocate by supporting PAC issues.
Example Question #1 : Special Interests And Mass Media
What is a political action committee (PAC)?
An organization that works to educate voters on policy
An organization within a political party that coordinates campaign events
An organizations that focuses on grassroots/outside lobbying
An organization that solicits campaign contributions and distributes them to political candidates
An organization that conducts voter registration drives
An organization that solicits campaign contributions and distributes them to political candidates
Political Action Committees or (PACs) are organizations created to support campaign finance for a candidate.
Example Question #1 : Political Action Committees
Which of these best describes the intended role of Political Action Committees?
They are meant to preserve the power of incumbents and ensure continuous re-election
They keep the public informed about abuses of government power
They raise funds to support their desired candidates
They serve as institutions to bolster the electoral chances of challenges
They encourage effective monitoring of the Judicial process
They raise funds to support their desired candidates
In American elections, Political Action Committees (PACs) are organizations that raise money by collecting campaign contributions and donations. They then use this money to fund the campaign of someone running for office. They can be used to fund either an incumbent or a challenger. They can also be used to fund desired legislation, although this is less common and more of a secondary purpose.
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