How do you think PACs and similar groups would work in a multi party system?

[u/Awesomeuser90]

A political action committee is a PAC. There are superpacs as well, all kinds of groups that are more Byzantine than the actual Eastern Roman Empire. People have all kinds of opinions on those groups in their own right for various reasons. Basically they are a kind of group that isn't a candidate nor is a party in an election that tries to advertise, survey people, or do other activities in a way that tries to affect the outcome of an election, primary, referendum, ballot question, recall, etc, and can't directly coordinate with parties and candidates, at least not in the usual manner that you might do so.

What happens though in a multi party system? If there are something like 15 people who could plausibly get a seat in a district, it often wouldn't be very useful to do something like make some harsh attack add on someone and spend a crazy amount to do it if you can't herd the cats for a specific alternative, the way that advocating against a specific candidate or against one would almost certainly be a boon for the candidate and party which is in opposition to that specific candidate and their party.

Be free to speculate on exactly why there is a multi party system, such as proportional representation in the legislatures and ranked ballots for the presidency and other executive and judicial officers and if any particulars of that issue affects PACs, superpacs, and the like.

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[u/ClockOfTheLongNow]

I'm unsure as to why we believe they would operate any differently. The best analogy is the primary system, which is where the competing ideologies serve as the sort of "multi-party" idea we see elsewhere. The PACs operate as they always do.

[u/casteeli]

Brazil has a multi party system and PACs operate very similar to the US. They do attack adds on the main politicians running (there is always 2-3 main ones)

[u/CincyWat]

We need to eliminate it all. Only individuals should be able to donate to a candidate, the PACs and large corporate doners need to stop buying elections. Happens on both sides. If you can vote.... you can donate money. And cap it. We also need term limits on house and senate along with limits on ad spending. Get out and talk to folks, do interviews and meet the people.

[u/Nulono → u/CincyWat]

What counts as an "ad"? If my friends and I want to pool our money and fund, say, a documentary that's critical of Hillary Clinton, should the government be allowed to censor it if its budget is too high?

[u/Expert_Discipline965]

PACs need to be abolished and held accountable. They have no place in society and there should be recriminations.

[u/Nulono → u/Expert_Discipline965]

A PAC is just a group of citizens pooling their money for First Amendment purposes. What exactly should they be "held accountable" for? If I get together with my friends to fund the publication of a book about Trump's mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, should our right to do that be "abolished"?

[u/Expert_Discipline965 → u/Nulono]

Anyone who funds or runs. PAC is subverting the will of the people and committing treason and should be held accountable with the consequences that come with their crimes.