21.3 - Interest Groups

Question 1

What are the three types of interest groups?

Answer 1

• Single-issue
• Professional
• Policy

Question 2

What is a single-issue interest group?

Answer 2

An interest group that tries to influence change over a very narrow policy area.

Question 3

What is the most prominent single-issue interest group?

Answer 3

NRA.

Question 4

What is the biggest SCOTUS case that the NRA has won?

Answer 4

District of Columbia v Heller (2008).

Question 5

What are professional interest groups?

Answer 5

Interest groups which represent the interests of its members.

Question 6

What is a prominent professional interest group?

Answer 6

The AFBF (American Farm Bureau Federation).

Represents farmers across America.

Question 7

Why is the AFBF a professional interest group?

Answer 7

To ensure agriculture functions well, there are other issues outside of agriculture that must be considered (i.e. taxation, energy, immigration etc.).

Question 8

What is a policy interest group?

Answer 8

An interest group that tries to influence a wide policy area.

Question 9

Why are the defintions of interest groups not always particularly useful?

Answer 9

Some groups could be categorised into all three areas.

Question 10

Where do the resources of interest groups come from?

Answer 10

• Money (if a group has more money, it can spend more and it will have more influence)
• Membership (if a group is larger, it will have more influence)
• Access (if a group has good ties to politics, it will have more influence)

Question 11

What are the tactics that interest groups can employ?

Answer 11

• Lobbying
• Report cards
• Campaign finance and electioneering
• Grassroots activity
• Legal methods

Question 11

How do interest groups lobby?

Answer 11

Can range from arranging a meeting with Congress or drafting legislation and looking for a co-sponsor in Congress.

Can involve research which is then presented to Congress.

Question 12

How do interest groups use report cards?

Answer 12

Members of Congress will be ranked based on how well they have supported an issue in their voting record.

These report cards are then published, and the hope is that constituents who place a high value on specific issues will vote differently in the next election.

Question 13

What is electioneering?

Answer 13

Taking part in a political campaign.

Question 14

How do interest groups use campaign finance and electioneering?

Answer 14

The easiest way to gain influence is obviously through funding. Direct donations are still limited by campaign finance legislation.

They can instead offer their ‘endorsement’ of candidates.

Question 15

How do interest groups use grassroots activity?

Answer 15

Organising protests can ensure that people have their voice heard, but more importantly that media attention will be shone on the issue.

NRA direct attacks on Joe Manchin in the run-up to the 2018 election.

Question 16

How do interest groups use legal methods?

Answer 16

With ample money and legal grounds, an interest group can launch court cases to advance their cause. If this has a constitutional bearing, it will be heard by SCOTUS.

Citizens United v FEC.

Question 17

How has a single issue interest group been ineffective?

Answer 17

Abortion
NARAL

Organisation of many protests against the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh. Stormed the Senate to lobby Senators against Kavanaugh.

This was ultimately in vain as Kavanaugh was appointed.

Question 18

How has a single issue interest group been effective?

Answer 18

NRA winning both of these cases.

Heller V. District of Columbia
McDonald v City of Chicago

Forced all states and federal districts to follow the Second Amendment and forced any states to rewrite any of their restrictive gun laws.

Question 19

How has a professional interest group been effective?

Answer 19

Pharmaceuticals

$2 billion spent in the last decade alone. Congresspeople / Senators will have votes essentially bought.

Question 20

How has a policy interest group been effective?

Answer 20

The Environment
League of Conservation Voters

Opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Millions of dollars spent, but it still passed Congress. Was only stopped by presidential veto in 2015. When Trump became President in 2017, he used his presidential powers to advance it yet again.

LCV only had a temporary effect in the end.

Question 21

Are interest groups good for democracy in the US? (Yes)

Answer 21

Representative Democracy
* Interest groups represent minority groups and their interests.
* Interest groups encourage their members to turn out in elections.

Liberal Democracy
* Interest groups raise issues about, and work to protect, rights.
* Can bring cases to SCOTUS.
* Interest groups raise issues that hold government to account.
* A wide range of interest groups on directly competing issues are tolerated.

Pluralist Democracy
* Power is dispersed across branches due to the numerous access points.
* Smaller interest groups have had success.
* Issues raised by interest groups provide a link between people and government.

Question 22

Are interest groups good for US democracy? (No)

Answer 22

Representative Democracy
* Interest groups undermine the power of legitimately elected representatives.
* The power of interest groups over the legislature can overrepresent the minority.

Liberal Democracy
* Free and fair elections are undermined by the money that interest groups pump into elections.
* Tolerance of extreme groups undermine the rights of others.
* Interest groups can use illegal methods to undermine the rule of law.

Pluralist Democracy
* Interest groups with more money have a disproportionate amount of influence.
* The same interest groups seem to constantly retain influence.
* Interest groups are centralised in DC which centralises power there.