Assignment:
Watch the video clip "Colbert PAC - Trevor Potter" and answer the question below:
(When you get to the CC website, search on "Trevor Potter" and several videos will come up. Select "Colbert PAC - Trevor Potter.")
Q1. According to the former FEC chairman Trevor Potter, what is a political action committee (PAC)?
a) an entity created to lobby bureaucrats in executive agencies
b) a key solution to the collective-action problem
c) an organized group that makes policy-related appeals to government
d) a group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns
Q2. According to this discussion, which of the following is NOT allowable under the law governing nonconnected PACs?
a) spending money to charter private jets for personal use
b) using private contributions to advocate for a political party or policy
c) advertising on behalf of a favored candidate with their approval
d) soliciting money from ordinary citizens who have not volunteered their contact information
Q3. Which of the following is NOT one of the various types of PACs discussed in this video?
a) candidate committee
b) personal committee
c) joint fund-raising representative
d) party committee
Q4. According to the former FEC chairman Trevor Potter, what is a PAC, and what kinds of activities do PACs engage in?
Q5. Describe at least two examples of legal and illegal aspects of the organization and operation of political action committees that are described in this video.
Q6. Based on what you know about the function of PACs in federal elections, what are the advantages and disadvantages of this feature of American politics?