Campaign Committee--A committee set up by a candidate to raise funds for a campaign for state or federal office.
Congressional Committee-- A House or Senate committee that oversees certain issues, such as transportation, defense, or agriculture. Bills introduced in Congress generally are amended in committee before being voted on by the full House or Senate.
Election Cycle-- The two--year time period before a general federal election. The 2010 election cycle consists of calendar years 2009 and 2010. All 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and one--third of the U.S. Senate are up for election each cycle. Presidential elections occur every other election cycle (every four years).
Federal Election Commission--The independent regulatory agency mandated to enforce the campaign finance law. Federal candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives, the presidency, or the vice presidency file quarterly campaign finance reports with the FEC, and candidates for the U.S. Senate file with the Secretary of the Senate, which then forwards the reports to the FEC. The agency regulates public financing of presidential campaigns and can seek fines against campaigns that violate campaign finance laws. The president appoints six commissioners to oversee the FEC and they are confirmed by the Senate. By law no more than three members can belong to the same political party.
General Election--An election in which a candidate is elected to public office.
Industry--Members or employees of a service, union, association or trade, or ideological or professional group that contributes money toward a political campaign in order to influence Congress. [See a list of the top industries donating to Congress.]
Leadership PAC--A fundraising committee formed by a politician and used to finance the campaigns of other candidates as well as the politician's political activities promoting other candidates. Leadership PACs are considered separate from a politician's campaign committee. Individuals can contribute up to $5,000 per year to a member's leadership PAC, even if they have already donated the maximum amount of funds to that member's campaign committee.
Midterm Election--An election held in a year without a presidential race.
Political Action Committee--A committee that raises money to elect or defeat candidates. Generally, PACs represent businesses, labor unions, or ideological interests. An organization's PAC solicits money from the organization's employees or members and contributes to candidates and parties in the name of the PAC. Individuals contributing to a PAC may also contribute directly to candidates and political parties. A PAC can give up to $5,000 to a candidate per election and up to $15,000 annually to a national political party. A PAC must register with the Federal Election Commission within 10 days of its formation.
Primary Election--An election in which voters nominate a party's candidate to run for office in a general election.
Retired--Some members have "retired" listed as an industry or organization contributing to them. This means the individuals who contributed campaign money to a PAC, industry, or organization identified themselves as being retired from the workforce.
Sector--A term used to categorize industries. For example, the communications sector covers the publishing industry, the telephone utilities industry, and the TV, movies, and music industry. The finance sector covers the commercial banking industry, the insurance industry, and the credit unions industry
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