5.3- interest groups

Question 1

Why might it be argued that the protection of rights in the US is easier?

Answer 1

• in the US rights and written and entrenched in the constitution
• in the UK rights are protected in the HRA which can be easily changed through an act of parliament
• in the US there are more access points due to the seperation of powers
• in the UK the main access point is government

Question 2

Give an example that highlights the significance of the NAACP group.

Answer 2

• they campaigned significantly against the “separate but equal doctrine” in the case of Plessy vs Ferguson
• culminated in the decision of Brown vs Board of Education (1954) that segregation was unconstitutional

Question 3

give an example of a protest that lead to the advancing of rights.

Answer 3

NAACP
- in 1960 “the youth council” began peaceful sit-ins to end segregation at lunch counters
- lead to the desegretaion of lunch counters in 26 southern cities

Question 4

What are the methods of interest groups to lobby congress?

Answer 4

• lobby members
• lobby committees
• drafts model legislation
• raising funds for candidates

Question 5

give an example of direct action by pressure groups?

Answer 5

• NAACP
• moral Monday protest in north carolina
• involved entering state legislatures to get peacefully arested

Question 6

how does the number of lobbyists of the NRA compare to that of the brady campaign (pro gun regulation)

Answer 6

• NRA has 15 lobbyists
• Brady Campaign has 4

Question 7

what influence did the ‘Brady campaign’ have in the DC vs hellar case?

Answer 7

• they filed an amicus curiae

Question 8

what is the NRA’s membership?

Answer 8

4.3 million

Question 9

how many interest groups are there estimated to be in the US?

Answer 9

100,000

Question 10

what was the NRA’s legal spend in 2022?

Answer 10

$40 million spent

Question 11

Give an example of the NRA trying to influence voter behavior.

Answer 11

the NRA grades each representative in congress based on their voting history on gun control legislation

Question 12

give a stat to suggest the influence of model legislation over congress.

Answer 12

USA today in a study found that
- between 2011 and 2019
- 10,000 pieces of model legislation introduced by law makers
- 2100 of these were signed into law

Question 13

Give an example of when an interest group was able to exert significant influence over congress?

Answer 13

• prior to the 2012 election
• the Americans for Tax Reform group
• asked republicans to sign a “tax payer protection pledge” to oppose all tax all tax increases
• 95% of all republican congresspersons signed the pledge

Question 14

how many amicus curiae were submitted in dobbs vs jackson?

Answer 14

over 140

Question 15

Give an example of an interest group donating significantly to a candidate.

Answer 15

Mitt Romney has recieved $13 million in donations from the NRA

Question 16

Explain the NRA’s relationship with trump during elections

Answer 16

• trump was the keynote speaker at the 2024 NRA conference
• NRA endorsed trump in 2016
• NRA spent significantly on trump in 2020 (half of what it spent in 2016

Question 17

what is the estimated anual lobbying spend in the US?

Answer 17

researcher james thurber estimates $9bn is spent anually

Question 18

what was the act that was introduced with the aim of limiting the revolving door mechanism.

Answer 18

2007- the honest leadership and open government act
- increased the “cooling off period” before public servants can lobby their former collegues

Question 19

what is an iron triangle?

Answer 19

when pressure groups, the federal beurocracy and congresspersons have shared aims and develop a strong relationship

Question 20

how much of the discretionary budget goes to the pentegon? in 2020 how much in contracts did lockheed martin recieve?

Answer 20

• half of the discretionary budget
• in 2020 lockheed recieved $75 billion

Question 21

on average, how much did members of the house armed services committee recieve in the 2022 election cycle?

Answer 21

• almost $80,000

Question 22

what % of americans are part of interest groups?

Answer 22

• a 2012 survey suggested 72% of americans were a part of atleast 1 interest group

Question 23

how many members does the american association of retired pensioners have?

Answer 23

38 million

Question 24

how much did the US chamber of commerce spend on lobbying and contributions in 2020?

Answer 24

$82 million

Question 25

give an example of a success of BLM at a local level.

Answer 25

• in minneapolis (where george floyd was killed) the council approved replacing the police department with a community lead public safety system
• california passed a use of force law which changes the standard of police force from when its ‘reasonable’ to when its ‘necessary’

Question 26

what are the arguments that interest groups have a positive impact on US democracy?

Answer 26

• represent a range of interests and support minorities
• protect rights
• facilitate participation
• provide important checks on politicians
• provide valuable expertease

Question 27

what are the arguments that interest groups do not have a positive impact on democracy.

Answer 27

• prioritise narrow interests, elitism
• undermine democratic politics through legal challenges
• contribute to the revolving door
• can lead to hyperplurism and gridlock

Question 28

what are the arguments that interest groups have a significant impact?

Answer 28

• influence through money
• many access points (federalims)
• iron traingles/revolving door
• legal challenges - role of the constitution
• significant resources

Question 29

what are the arguments that interest groups have a significant impact?

Answer 29

• judicial independence: success of challenges due to courts not IG
• regulation reduces impact of revolving door

Question 30

give an example of the revolving door mechanism.

Answer 30

• the american pretrolium institute has historically employed ex congress persons

Question 31

how did planned parenthood influence the 2020 election?

Answer 31

• they pledged $45m to candidates who supported abortion rights