WASHINGTON --The number of federally registered political action committees (PACs) increased by 1.5% from 4,168 on July 1, 2007, to 4,234 by January 1, 2008 according to a semi-annual survey released by the Federal Election Commission (FEC/Commission).
For more than 20 years the number of active PACs has remained relatively constant at about 3,800 to 4,200 organizations. New committees continue to register in numbers roughly equal to those who terminate their activity in each cycle. Since January 1, 2007, for example, 370 new PACs registered with the FEC while 319 ended their federal activity and terminated.
Corporate PACs remain the largest category, with 1,601 committees, followed by non-connected – 1,300 trade/membership/health - 925, labor - 273, corporations without stock - 97, and cooperatives - 38.
PACs sponsored by corporations and labor organizations are technically referred to as "separate segregated funds" and must register within 10 days of being established. Non-connected PACs (those which are not connected to or sponsored by a corporation or labor organization, and which are not related to a candidate's campaign or to a political party organization) must register within 10 days after certain financial activity exceeds $1,000 during a calendar year.
Registration does not necessarily imply financial activity. Many PACs report making no contributions to candidates or independent expenditures on behalf of or against candidates. Financial information on PACs will be included in future FEC news releases.
The following chart details the number of PACs in existence since the end of 1974.
PAC COUNT- 1974 TO PRESENT
(semi-annual)
DATE |
Corporate |
Labor |
Trade/
Membership/
Health |
Non-Connected |
Cooperative |
Corp.
Without
Stock |
TOTAL |
12/31/74 |
89 |
201 |
318* |
|
|
|
608 |
11/24/75 1 |
139 |
226 |
357* |
|
|
|
722 |
05/10/76 2 |
294 |
246 |
452* |
|
|
|
992 |
12/31/76 |
433 |
224 |
489* |
|
|
|
1,146 |
12/31/77 |
550 |
234 |
438 |
110 |
8 |
20 |
1,360 |
12/31/78 |
785 |
217 |
453 |
162 |
12 |
24 |
1,653 |
08/00/79 |
885 |
226 |
483 |
206 |
13 |
27 |
1,840 |
12/31/79 |
950 |
240 |
514 |
247 |
17 |
32 |
2,000 |
07/01/80 |
1,107 |
255 |
544 |
309 |
23 |
41 |
2,279 |
12/31/80 |
1,206 |
297 |
576 |
374 |
42 |
56 |
2,551 |
07/01/81 |
1,253 |
303 |
579 |
441 |
38 |
64 |
2,678 |
12/31/81 |
1,329 |
318 |
614 |
531 |
41 |
68 |
2,901 |
07/01/82 |
1,417 |
350 |
627 |
628 |
45 |
82 |
3,149 |
12/31/82 |
1,469 |
380 |
649 |
723 |
47 |
103 |
3,371 |
07/01/83 |
1,514 |
379 |
664 |
740 |
50 |
114 |
3,461 |
12/31/83 |
1,538 |
378 |
643 |
793 |
51 |
122 |
3,525 |
07/01/84 |
1,642 |
381 |
662 |
940 |
53 |
125 |
3,803 |
12/31/84 |
1,682 |
394 |
698 |
1,053 |
52 |
130 |
4,009 |
07/01/85 |
1,687 |
393 |
694 |
1,039 |
54 |
133 |
4,000 |
12/31/85 |
1,710 |
388 |
695 |
1,003 |
54 |
142 |
3,992 |
07/01/86 |
1,734 |
386 |
707 |
1,063 |
56 |
146 |
4,092 |
12/31/86 |
1,744 |
384 |
745 |
1,077 |
56 |
151 |
4,157
|
07/01/87 |
1,762 |
377 |
795 |
967 |
56 |
152 |
4,109 |
12/31/87 |
1,775 |
364 |
865 |
957 |
59 |
145 |
4,165 |
07/01/88 |
1,806 |
355 |
766 |
1,066 |
60 |
143 |
4,196 |
12/31/88 |
1,816 |
354 |
786 |
1,115 |
59 |
138 |
4,268 |
07/01/89 |
1,802 |
349 |
831 |
1,051 |
58 |
143 |
4,234 |
12/31/89 |
1,796 |
349 |
777 |
1,060 |
59 |
137 |
4,178 |
07/01/90 |
1,782 |
346 |
753 |
1,115 |
58 |
139 |
4,193 |
12/31/90 |
1,795 |
346 |
774 |
1,062 |
59 |
136 |
4,172 |
07/01/91 |
1,745 |
339 |
749 |
1,096 |
57 |
137 |
4,123 |
12/31/91 |
1,738 |
338 |
742 |
1,083 |
57 |
136 |
4,094 |
07/01/92 |
1,731 |
344 |
759 |
1,091 |
56 |
144 |
4,125 |
12/31/92 |
1,735 |
347 |
770 |
1,145 |
56 |
142 |
4,195 |
07/01/93 |
1,715 |
338 |
767 |
1,011 |
55 |
139 |
4,025 |
12/31/93 |
1,789 |
337 |
761 |
1,121 |
56 |
146 |
4,210 |
07/01/94 |
1,666 |
336 |
777 |
963 |
53 |
138 |
3,933 |
12/31/94 |
1,660 |
333 |
792 |
980 |
53 |
136 |
3,954 |
07/01/95 |
1,670 |
334 |
804 |
1,002 |
43 |
129 |
3,982 |
12/31/95 |
1,674 |
334 |
815 |
1,020 |
44 |
129 |
4,016 |
07/01/96 |
1,645 |
332 |
829 |
1,058 |
43 |
126 |
4,033 |
12/31/96 |
1,642 |
332 |
838 |
1,103 |
41 |
123 |
4,079 |
07/01/97 3 |
1,602 |
332 |
826 |
953 |
41 |
118 |
3,872 |
12/31/97 |
1,597 |
332 |
825 |
931 |
42 |
117 |
3,844 |
07/01/98 |
1,565 |
325 |
820 |
897 |
43 |
112 |
3,762 |
12/31/98 |
1,567 |
321 |
821 |
935 |
39 |
115 |
3,798 |
07/01/99 |
1,540 |
318 |
826 |
941 |
38 |
115 |
3,778 |
01/01/00 |
1,548 |
318 |
844 |
972 |
38 |
115 |
3,835 |
07/01/00 |
1,523 |
316 |
812 |
902 |
39 |
114 |
3,706 |
01/01/01 |
1,545 |
317 |
860 |
1,026 |
41 |
118 |
3,907 |
07/01/01 |
1,525 |
314 |
872 |
1,007 |
41 |
118 |
3,877 |
01/01/02 |
1,508 |
316 |
891 |
1,019 |
41 |
116 |
3,891 |
07/01/02 |
1,514 |
313 |
882 |
1,006 |
40 |
110 |
3,865 |
01/01/03 |
1,528 |
320 |
975 |
1,055 |
39 |
110 |
4,027 |
07/01/03 |
1,534 |
320 |
902 |
1,040 |
39 |
110 |
3,945 |
01/01/04 |
1,538 |
310 |
884 |
999 |
35 |
102 |
3,868 |
07/01/04 |
1,555 |
306 |
877 |
1,174 |
34 |
97 |
4,040 |
01/01/05 |
1,622 |
306 |
900 |
1,223 |
34 |
99 |
4,184 |
07/01/05 4 |
1,646 |
302 |
936 |
1,267 |
37 |
103 |
4,291 |
01/01/06 |
1,622 |
290 |
925 |
1,233 |
37 |
103 |
4,210 |
07/01/06 |
1,621 |
283 |
935 |
1,233 |
40 |
105 |
4,217 |
01/01/07 |
1,582 |
273 |
937 |
1,254 |
37 |
100 |
4,183 |
07/01/07 |
1,586 |
273 |
926 |
1,247 |
37 |
99 |
4,168 |
1/01/08 |
1,601 |
273 |
925 |
1,300 |
38 |
97 |
4,234 |
Footnotes for Chart:
*/ For 1974-76, these numbers represent all other PACs...no further categorization is available.
1/ On November 24, 1975, the Commission issued Advisory Opinion 1975-23 "SUNPAC".
2/ On May 11, 1976, Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1976 (P.L. 94-283) were enacted.
3/ During the first six months of 1997, 227 PACs were administratively terminated because of inactivity.
4/ During the second six months of 2005, 189 PACs were administratively terminated because of inactivity.
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