Chapter Eight: Interest Groups Flashcards
Interest group
an organization of people who enter the political process to try to achieve their shared goals that puts pressure for change on elected officials and policy makers on all levels of government
Political action committees and 527s
outside organizations that have joined parties and interest groups as a major influence on policy making in this country
Parties v. Interest groups
parties seek office while interest groups seek to effect through legislative means
PACs vs. Super PACs
PACs can give money directly but are limited in amount
Super PACs can give unlimited money to candidates but not directly
PACs
the political arms of interest groups, legally entitled to raise voluntary funds to contribute to favored candidates or political parties - focus on influencing election results but their interest in the candidates is narrowly based because they are almost always affiliated with particular interest groups
Campaign Reform Act of 1974
hard money limits
527s
tax exempt organizations created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment, or defeat of candidates for public office
Elitist theory and interest groups
few interest groups have most of the power - government is run by a few big groups trying to preserve their own interests - an extensive system of interlocking directorates (same people sitting on several boards of corporations, foundations, and universities) fortifies the control - corporate interests control many government decisions
Pluralist theory and interest groups
interest groups benefit American democracy by bringing representation to all - benefits of interest groups include:
- linkage between people and government
- one group can’t become too powerful because others counterbalance it
- groups usually follow the rules - those that don’t get bad publicity which keeps them in line
- no one set of groups dominates because those weak in one resource are strong in others - business more $ labor unions more people
Hyperpluralist theory and interest groups
too many interest groups are trying to influence the political process, resulting in chaos and contradiction among government policies
3 types of interest groups
Economic interests, consumer and public interests, and equality and justice interests
Economic interests
management vs. labor - concerned primarily with profits, prices, and wages - can be controlled indirectly through government regulations, subsidies and contracts, trade policy, and tax advantages
Labor unions
focus on better working conditions and higher wages - established the union shop - collective bargaining
Union shop
requires new employees to join the union representing them - attempted counter by right-to-work laws
Right-to-work-laws
Laws that make union membership optional - some states have adopted them but not all
Agriculture groups
Targeted because of subsidies - ethanol, regulations on plating
Business groups
large corporations exercise considerable political influence - concerned about government regulations - Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce
broadest trade association - federation of several thousand local chambers of commerce representing more than 200,000 business firms - pharmaceutical lobby = one of most powerful with over 600 registered lobbyists
Professional groups
represent various occupations - American Medical Association, American Bar Association, American Association of University Professors, National Education Association - want to influence government policies that affect their professions- licensing and standards of admission
Public Interest Groups
Non-political, not economically driven, rectifying a public issue - PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups) actively promote environmental issues, safe energy, consumer protection, and good government - membership of more than 400,000 = one of largest individual membership organizations in the country
Environmental interests
promote pollution control, wilderness protection, and population control - have opposed strip-mining, oil pipelines, offshore oil drilling, supersonic aircraft, and nuclear power plants - often conflict with corporations
Equality and Justice interests
welfare interest groups - promote the welfare of a certain group of people - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Organization for Women (NOW), National Urban League (NUL), National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC)
Lobbying
to attempt to influence government policies - to exert influence on the legal process by:
- contacting government officials by phone or letter
- meeting and socializing at conventions
- taking officials to lunch
- testifying at committee hearings
Electioneering
interest groups - campaign contributions, keeping people in office who support their causes
Litigation and interest groups
interest groups will use the legal system if they can’t get what they want from Congress
Amicus curiae
“friend of the court” briefs - consist of written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case or another - used by interest groups
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
challenged affirmative action programs as reverse discrimination - over a hundred different groups filed amicus curiae briefings
Class action lawsuits
enable a group of similar plaintiffs to combine their grievances into a single suit - Brown v. Board
Interest groups appealing to the public
NRA = most successful because they activate voters -
K-street = center for many lobbyists in DC - interest groups may best influence public policy through careful cultivation of their image
Interest group rating
rank congressmen based on performance in their job (amount of support they give to legislation that is favorable to their cause) used to describe voting records of Congressmen - ranges 0% to 100% of times they voted for legislative agenda of the group e.g. environmental groups identified the 12 congressmen least likely to support an environmental bill (named them the “Dirty Dozen”)
Foundation grants
Public interest groups dependent on these - funds established usually by prominent families or corporations for philanthropy (e.g. charity work)
Federal grants and contracts
`not granted directly to organizations for lobbying purposes, but they may be given to support a project the organization supports
Direct solicitation
most groups rely heavily on direct mail to solicit funds - via computer, groups can directly mail to selected individuals identified from lists developed by staff or purchased from other groups
Size of interest groups
larger interest groups have free rider problems - smaller interest groups are easier to organize for action and can more easily provide advantages for all of their members
Free rider
In large interest groups, there are so many members, that individuals tend to think that someone else will do the work - hard for groups trying to benefit all of their members
Intensity and interest groups
groups intensely committed to their goals are more successful than those who aren’t - single-issue groups - members more willing to actively protest or push for legislation
Financial resources and interest groups
interest groups can’t do much without funds so fund-raising is crucial to the success of any interest group
The “Revolving Door”
going from public sector to lobbying (private sector) - and official does a favor for a corporation because the corporation promised them a job once they were out of office - not acting for good of the public
Institutional interests vs. Individual interests
Institutional - meet the interests of corporations
Individual - meet the interests of people
