5.3 Interest groups in USA Flashcards
3
List the 3 types of interest groups in the USA
- Single-issue group
- Professional group
- Policy group
3
Describe single-issue groups
- Campaign on specific policy issue with narrow scope
- e.g. NRA - fights for rights on gun owners
- e.g. Sandy Hook Promise - advocates for gun control
4
Describe professional groups
- Represents interests of its members in legislation: workers, professionals, industry
- Often professional associations
- Cover wide array of areas within relevant field to industry
- e.g. American Farm Bureau Federation - influence agricultural policy, but also immigration reform, tax, etc
3
Describe policy interest groups
- Interested in influencing entire policy area e.g. FP, environment
- Members may not be direct beneficiaries, but share ideological belief
- Environment America - push for rnewable enrgy, wildlife conservation, clean air, etc
4
List the factors that affect the success of interest groups in the USA
- Money
- Membership
- Access
- Circumstances - national events give issues more support or media attention
2
How does money affect the success of interest groups in the USA?
- Groups with significant funding can make campaign contributions, hire expensive lobbyists and afford grassroots campaogns
- 2020 - NRA spent $4.2m supporting Trump and $12.2m opposing Biden
2
Describe a limit to the influence of money on interest group success
- 2020-21, NRA spent $4m on Georgia Senate special elections
- Yet Democrats won both races
3
How does membership affect the success of interest groups in the USA?
- Large group can mobilise many voters to pose significant threat to Congress member up for re-election
- Important given short election cycle
- Expertised membership is more likely to be listened to by elected officials
4
How does access affect the success of interest groups in the USA?
- Those with access to/support of politicans hold greater influence
- Retired Congress members + former congressional staff
- Provide connections and expertise of legislative process
- 2022, 453 former members of Congress worked as lobbyists/senior advisors
5
Describe the methods of interest groups
- Lobbying
- Report cards
- Campaign donations
- Protests
- Legal methods
4
Describe lobbying as an interest group method
- Provide groups with access or useful information
- Tactics: meetings, draft legislation and win congressional sponsor
- Target Cabinet/SC appointments
- e.g. NAACP gave evidence on Jeff Sessions’ credentials for Attorney General role at hearings upon Trump nomination
1
Give an example of the revolving door in America
When Jon Hoehner left as HoR Speaker, he joined law firm Squire Patton Boggs where he serves as senior strategic advisor
5
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - lobbying
- 2020 election - $3bn spent on lobbying
- Federal nature provides several access points at state and national level
- Can influence SC through amicus curie briefs
- Some groups like NRA have own lobbying arm
- Can provide groups with own useful information to influence politicians
2
Give an example of lobbying’s success on legislation
- 2013, bill passed HoR to roll back aspects of bank regulatory Dodds-Frank Act
- Langauge used in bill almost identitical to that suggested by Citigroup lobbyists
2
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - lobbying
- Congress members more greatly influenced by constituents or party allegiance
- legislative process makes it difficult for bills to be passed
3
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - report cards
- Grade members of Congress on how supportive they are of issue
- Hope iit will influence constituents who place high value on specific issue
- 2016, Bernie Sanders used D- NRA rating as campaign tool
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - campaign donations
- ‘electioneering’ - offer endorsement to show candidate is supportive of issues
- Donate to Super-PACs or campaigns to get sympathetic politicians elected
- create campaigns themselves to support/oppose candidates
- League of Conservation Voters - ‘dirty dozen’
3
Describe the ‘dirty dozen’
- List of 12 worst envrionmental incumbent Congress members
- Published by League of Conservation Voters
- 2020 - 6/12 defeated
2
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - campaign donations
- Strict campaign finance laws means that more is spent on lobbying
- NRA publically campaigned against Joe Manchin re-election in 2018, yet Machin won
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - protests
- Visbility gains significant media attention
- Demonstrates depth of public support
- May encourage constituents to mass email/write to their Congress member to express opinion
- 2024, CAIR organsied 400k strong march on Washington to protest Israeli military aid
3
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - protests
- Disapproval for direct action tactics
- 8% of American population participated in BLM protests, yet little impact
- 2014 People’s Climate March advocated massive defence cuts → subsequently raised by Trump
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are effective - legal methods
- Most significant impact in launching court cases that reach SC
- Students for Fair Admissions actually set up as interest group to pursue SC case to strike down affirmative action
- Citizens United successfully challenged FEC campaign finance laws in 2010
- Over 140 amicus curie briefs filed during Dobbs
4
Describe the argument that interest group methods are ineffective - legal methods
- Requires significant funding and reason to bring case
- SC conservative majority - disadvanatges liberal groups
- American Barr Association wrote amcius curie briefs during Students for Fair Admissions v Havard in support of affirmative action, yet failed
- Number of amicus curie briefs increased by 800% in past 50 years - individually less significant
6
List the access points of interest groups to Congress
- lobbying
- creating legislation
- give evidence to committee
- report cards
- campaign donations
- electioneering
3
List the access points of interest groups to the President
- lobbying - including lobbying EXOP/departments
- campaign donations
- electioneering
4
List the access points of interest groups to SCOTUS
- amicus curiae briefs
- bring cases to SC
- ABA (interest group) has role in appointment process
- give evidence in appt hearings
4
Describe the AIPAC
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee - lobby group
- Promotes USA-Israel relationship
- But also campaigns on Syrian war, defence issues, etc
- Arguably fits all 3 interest group categories
4
Describe evidence of AIPAC’s influence
- AIPAC caucuses in every congressional district
- Spent $3.5m lobbying in 2023
- Recently procured $26bn in
aid for Israel - Have donated over $1m to Senator Bob Mendenez (D-NJ) since 2023
2
Describe limiting evidence of AIPAC’s influence
- Blockage of $17.6bn aid package to Israel in 2024
- Recent polls show 65% of 18-24 year olds oppose sending aid to Israel
3
Describe the arguments that interest groups in the US are influential
- Single-issue
- Professional
- Policy
4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are influential - single-issue
- Can focus efforts on single issue
- May hold significant funding and membership e.g. NRA
- NRA membership grew by 5m after Sandy Hook 2012
- 77% conservatives view NRA favourably
4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are not influential - single-issue
- Institutions likely to be partisan, which limits influence
- Only 30% liberals view NRA favourably
- NRA spent $40m in 2008, but did little to swing vote
- Pro-choice group NARAL stormed Senate and packed offices of Senators Donnellly, Murkowski, Corker and Grassley to protest Kavanaugh nomination, yet Kavanaugh confirmed
6
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are influential - professional
- Likely to command expertised membership
- Membership may represent important voting bloc
- AFL-CIO represented over 12m workers in US
- National Retail Federation (NRF) successfully lobbied for Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017
- Retail 2nd biggest employer in US
- Large pharamaceutical companies spent $300m lobbying in 2020 - can influence drug prices set for Medicare and Medicaid
3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are not influential - professional
- Public opinion and other factors more influential
- NRF attempts to repeal Obamacare repeatedly failed
- NRF only donated $21k in most recent election cycle
3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are influential - policy
- Focus on specific policy research and support/opposition
- AIPAC a powerful lobby group
- ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) - fights for protection of vast array of rights
3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the US are not influential - policy
- Ideological opposition to presidency, SCOTUS and balance of Congress
- AIPAC influence
- LCV - Keystone Pipieline
6
Describe the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and the Keystone XL Pipeline
- LCV opposed Alberta-Houston pupeline
- Spent millions on adverts advocating for/against candidatesin 2010 election cycle
- Thousands spent on lobbying Congress members
- 2015, passed Congress - vetoed by Obama
- 2017, Trump used executive orders to advance development
- 2021, Biden signed executive order to revoke permit
4
Describe how interest groups use initiatives to influence policy
- Initative placed on ballot if enough citizens in particular state sign petition which interest groups start
- Range from 13k to 300k signatures
- Companies employed to acquire necessary signatures - creates ‘price for signatures’
- 2020, Arizona voted to legalise marijuana by 60% to 40% after successful petition by Safe and Smart Arizona
2
Describe a limit to interest groups using iniatives to influence policy
- Can be costly - groups need significant funding/mobilisation
- 2021, cost avg $14.74 per signature
3
Describe the arguments that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy
- Representative
- Liberal
- Pluralist
4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy - representative
- Interest groups may represent minority groups e.g. NAACP
- Interests might be ignored in plruality election system
- Can encourage members to turnout in elections, increasingly legitimacy of those elected
- e.g. Trump spoke at National Hispanic Leadership Conference in 2022
3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are bad for democracy - representative
- Undermine power and judgement of legitimately elected officials e.g. AIPAC
- Power of interest groups in Congress can create ‘tyranny of the majority’
- Gun Owners of America
5
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy - liberal
- Raise issues about rights e.g. ACLU
- Bring cases to SCOTUS
- Over 140 amicus curie briefs filed in Dobbs
- Limit government power
- Wide range of interest groups on directly competing issues promotes tolerance
5
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are bad for democracy - liberal
- Free elections undermined by wealth of interest groups
- 2020 - NRA spent $4.2m supporting Trump and $12.2m opposing Biden
- Tolerance of extremist groups undermines rights of other isses
- e.g. Turning Point USA - university campuses
- Use of illegal methods undermine rule of law e.g. NARAL - Kavanaugh
4
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are good for democracy - pluralist
- Federal nature provides multiple access points, dispersing power
- Smaller interest groups have success in gaining national attention for issues
- e.g. CIAR shifted attitude on Israel funding (though significant funding bill passed)
- Ensure government responsiveness to public
3
Describe the argument that interest groups in the USA are bad for democracy - pluralist
- Wealthy interest groups have disporportionate power e.g. AARP
- Focus of interest group action is in DC, which uduly centralises power
- Same interest groups seem to retain influence over political process e.g. NRA
5
Describe the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
- Membership restricted to those age 50+
- Greyvote - high turnout
- Can influence areas with older average population e.g. Florida
- George W Bush expanded medicare due to pressure from AARP
- Though generally non-partisan - does not endorse any candidates
1
Describe Gun Owners of America
- Spent $3.3m opposing essentially all gun control in 2023
- despite 64% of Americans supporting stricter regulation
