The American public distrusts political action committees and considers them harmful to the nation's democratic political process. This negative reaction is independent of socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, political ideology, and party affiliation, but is highly correlated with optimism about the future and confidence in the nation's political, legal, and economic institutions and their leaders. The findings of this study suggest that business must undertake substantive and communications-related measures to improve public perception of PAC activities if it is to maintain societal legitimacy in its involvement in the political process.
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References
1.
“PAC Power Swells Anew,”Wall Street Journal (17 September 1982), p. 1; for a very thorough and thought-provoking discussion of PACs and their growing power, see DrewElizabeth, “A Reporter at Large: Politics and Money, Part I,”The New Yorker (6 December 1982), p. 54; and idem, Part II, The New Yorker (13 December 1982), p. 57.
2.
FarneyDennis, “Business PACs Decide to Go on the Defensive,”Wall Street Journal (10 June 1982), pp. 33,38.
3.
JessupDavid, “Can Political Influence Be Democratized? A Labor Perspective,” in MalbinMichael J. (ed.), Parties, Interest Groups, and Campaign Finance Laws (Washington, D.C.: American Enterprise Institute, 1980), p. 27.
4.
For example, Bill Moyers series on corporate industries' PACs was aired on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather between February 22–26, 1982; Ted Koppel devoted a major segment of ABC's Nightline program on PACs under the caption “Growing Influence of PACs in Administration,” on February 25, 1982.
5.
SchellhardtTimothy D., “Builders Try to Wield Political Cash to Get Housing Aid from Congress,”Wall Street Journal (25 March 1982), p. 25.
6.
WertheimerFred, “Testimony on the Federal Election Campaign Act,”before the Committee on Rules and Administration, U. S. Senate (24 November 1981).
7.
The realtors have avowed to contribute to the electoral campaigns of only those candidates who would support specific legislative programs, or where a strong relationship could be shown between PAC contributions to congressmen from specific industry groups and voting records of these congressmen on legislation favoring the same industry groups. James M. Perry, “How Realtors' PAC Rewards Office Seekers Helpful to the Industry,”Wall Street Journal (2 August 1982), pp. 1, 13.
8.
WertheimerFredHuwaRandy, “Campaign Finance: Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges,” presented at “Colloquium on Election Law in the 80's: An Assessment,”
9.
New York University Review of Law and Social Policy, vol. 10, no. 1 (1980–81).
10.
“Nader Campaigns for Selected Democratic Candidates,”Wall Street Journal (17 September 1982).
11.
FarneyDennis, “Business PACs Decide to Go on the Defensive,”Wall Street Journal (10 June 1982), pp. 33,38.
12.
The degree of “political or social activism” is defined in terms of the number of politically related activities undertaken by a person during the last twelve months.
13.
The executive/professional category included all those who reported themselves to be members of top management; top talent; major professional, executive, and administrative groups; owners of small retail stores or businesses, or farmers (owners or managers), but excluded those who had less than $10,000 yearly incomes.
14.
Drew, op. cit.
15.
Mobil Corporation, “PACs—the voice of real people,” advertisement, The Dallas Morning News (7 December 1982),p. 13A.
16.
For a discussion of various strategies of political campaign contributions, see SwansonCarl L., A Framework for Evaluating and Planning Corporate PAC Strategies for Political Campaign Contributions, Special Report SR 82-15, The Center for Research in Business and Social Policy, The University of Texas at Dallas (1982).
