FEC ISSUES SEMI-ANNUAL FEDERAL PAC COUNT
WASHINGTON -- The number of federally registered political action committees (PACs)
increased from 3,877 on July 1, 2001, to 3,891 by January 1, according to a semi-annual
survey by the Federal Election Commission.
Corporate PACs remain the largest category, with 1,508 committees, followed by
non-connected - 1,019, trade/membership/health - 891, labor - 316, corporations without
stock - 116, and cooperatives - 41.
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)
January 2002
| Date |
Committee Type |
Total |
| |
Corporate |
Labor |
Trade/
Membership/
Health |
Non-
Connected |
Cooperative |
Corp.
Without
Stock |
|
| 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 |
3,875 [3] |
| 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 |
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. |
