Final answer:
Political action committees (PACs) exist primarily to raise money to influence government policy and legislation by donating to and supporting political candidates who align with their interests.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main purpose of political action committees (PACs) is to influence government policy and legislation by collecting funds from donors and distributing them to candidates who support their issues. PACs, including super PACs, raise money to contribute to political campaigns, but while regular PACs can donate directly to candidates, super PACs can only spend on behalf of candidates without direct contributions. The establishment and activities of PACs were made possible by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and have been influenced by subsequent court decisions such as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.