ETVT that Interest groups are bad for democracy (30) Flashcards
Benefits to the electoral process
Campaigns by the Justice Democrats help to improve democratic accountability and responsiveness of all representatives to constituents, Justice democrats is a progressive political action committee which campaigns in order to raise funds to endorse candidates.
In 2018 officially endorsed 79 candidates, 7 of whom won their elections. These successes were all in the House, the 4 candidates they had endorsed in the Senate all lost. In the House, successful JD-endorsed candidates included AOC and Rashida Tlaib
In 2022, they decreased the number of people they endorsed, so that they could be more successful with a smaller number of candidates – they endorsed 10 incumbents and 6 newcomers – all but one incumbent won, and two newcomers won – majority of those that they endorsed went on to win.
AOC, in 2018 democratic primary for NY’s 14th District, ousted the more moderate incumbent Joe Crowley after receiving support from the Justice Democrats
Not only was representation improved in the district, since Joe Crowley was becoming increasingly unresponsive to constituents, but this kind of competition serves as a caution to other Republicans and democrats who fear they might lose their seat, therefore improving accountability. Consequently, interest groups are important in improving and upholding democracy by improving representation, even in safe seat
Crucially, all candidates being endorsed by the Justice Democrats are required to take a pledge not to receive donations from billionaires or large corporations
They strengthen democracy – there is often a risk, when a candidate has been elected in part owing to sizeable donations from a small number of large firms, that the elected congressman/woman won’t be accountable and receptive to constituents, but will instead feel forced to fulfil their end of the deal, by returning the favour to large firms for their donations. In this way, by only endorsing candidates who won’t take big money donations, this helps to improve receptiveness to constituents because representatives are fully committed to listening to the people that voted for them, rather than also having ulterior motives
Even when an endorsed candidate doesn’t win, it forces competitors to be more accountable to their constituents, as otherwise they could risk losing
Super PACs have too much sway over the election process
Koch brothers – promote elite interests
In the 2016 general elections, just 0.52% of the US adult population was responsible for 67.8% of all political contributions. This is problematic because this small group has very different interests and concerns to the rest of the American population.
the Koch brothers have helped to secretly fund a vast network of right-wing organisations, known as the “Kochtopus”, as well as right wing candidates and representatives. After the Supreme Court ruling of Citizens United, this has enabled the Koch network to have much greater influence on presidential campaigns, and influence at all levels of govt.
since Obama took office, the Koch-backed Republican party has increased seats by 900 at the state level. Although they didn’t directly support Trump, they massively helped republicans in the 2016 election, pledging $889m in funds – this spending helped secure the vote for republicans in key swing states. Trump’s administration was dubbed “Trump’s Koch administration” because many of the key figures around Trump were Koch operatives – people who had been endorsed and supported by the Koch network
use of dark money – public doesn’t know where candidate’s funding is coming from due to the use of dark money, which is money being sent through 501©(4)
the organisation donated over $100,000 to operation REDMAP, a state legislature gerrymandering initiative so that states would remain Republican.
Gerrymandering is a key issue in the USA, North Carolina for example is a area where partisan redrawing will heavily favour the GOP in 2023
This shows how the way in which the Koch organisation works serves to undermine democracy, because they tend to promote elite interests, and serve to reduce competition between candidates, by giving Republican candidates a massive fundraising advantage. Donating to a scheme carrying out partisan gerrymandering is also very damaging for democracy because it prevents the population’s views from being accurately represented in Congress
Interest groups encourage participation and expertise in policy and decision making
Industry related interest groups can benefit their own constituents through influencing Congress
Could weakly be argued that industry related interest groups can be good for democracy, because they may be able to provide expertise to one of the elected branches of govt.
They also help increase participation in elections, turnout in 2016 was only 59% - another way for members of these groups to turnout and participate in politics, constituents could aim to achieve their goals through interest groups
Members of congress are rarely experts on a number of issues, so interest groups can apply this to legislation and SCOTUS cases.
Many pressure groups like the ACLU also submit amicus briefs to the Supreme Court. Justices welcome high quality briefs for complex cases because they can save substantial work and research, and can highlight arguments that may have been overlooked.
Iron triangles
This case is an example of an iron triangle, designed to preserve elite interests, between the executive branch, industry related interest groups and congress
There is a reciprocal incentive structure which exists between these three groups, because Congress is receptive to industry related interest groups, since they can be important in providing funds, without which Congresspeople cannot be re-elected. In return, members of Congress can introduce amendments to bills which help to advance the interests of these groups, such as in the example of Dodd Frank. Finally, the agencies created by Congress can have reciprocal arrangements, as federal agencies are likely to give softer enforcement of regulations, in return for the expertise that an interest group may provide, or their donations.
The Chamber of Commerce and Financial Service Roundtable, two interest groups, helped to soften the banking regulations of the Dodd Frank Bill, by submitting passages of text to members of congress which were designed to weaken the bill, and by spending huge amounts of money on a lobbying operation aimed at protecting banking and commercial interests over consumer interests.
The Financial Service Roundtable has been successful in affecting policy in the executive and legislative branches of govt – in the legislative branch, through weakening Dodd-Frank and also campaigning for the Financial CHOICE Act, which would also help to roll back further on the Dodd Frank Act 2010.
Chamber of Commerce – largest pressure group in the US – during the 2010 campaign cycle, the pressure group spent $32m, with 93% going to Republican candidates. During the 2008 election cycle, they financed aggressive ads attacking democrat candidates in order to push through their agenda
In 2015-16, the top five contributors to House Representative Mac Thornberry, Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, were all defence contractors like Lockheed Martin. In 2016, Thornberry proposed taking $18 billion from the war budget to pay for, amongst other items, 11 new F-35 fighter jets that the Pentagon had not asked for, it is very hard to cut defence spending, interest groups want to increase it, so do the pentagon and the congressmen that benefit from doing so.
Hence very bad for democracy
They protect rights
ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union
Purpose in its words: “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and the laws of the United States
In 2009, the ACLU filed an Amicus brief in Citizens united v FEC, arguing that the BCRA 2002 violated the first amendment right to political speech – this was ultimately the SC’s ruling
The ACLU is currently supporting and campaigning for a bill in Congress, the Smarter Sentencing Act, aimed at reducing mandatory minimum sentences for federal drug offences.
NARAL Pro-choice America is a interest group that protects women’s right to abortion, they endorse parties and legislation in line with pro choice views, they usefully encouraged the democrat national committee to include a repeal of the discriminatory Hyde amendment in the parties platform, they spent a total of $5 million to invest in candiates in 19 states in 2016 and joined the #askaboutabortion campaign, aiming to ask a question about abortion during the democrat primary debates.
Collins v United states – ACLU settled with the federal govt, providing for the full payment to those discharged under don’t ask don’t tell, since November 2004, as they have previously only been granted half of the full pay
In March 2016, the governor for South Dakota vetoed a bill which would have prohibited transgender students from using the bathroom that aligned with their identity, after the ACLU organised for him to meet with a group of them, it ‘put a human face’ on the impacts of the bill.
Therefore, there is a specific role for pressure groups in protecting rights, particularly because in the US, there are only two political parties, meaning that representatives may tend to overlook minority groups in favour of the popular concerns of the majority of voters
Undemocratic methods
Tyranny of the minority
Pressure groups can undemocratically force their agenda.
Sometimes this can take violent and illegal forms, such as physical attacks on abortion clinics and the staff who work for them. In 2016, the National Abortion Federation reported that there had been eight murders, 17 attempted murders, 42 bombings, and 186 instances of arson associated with U.S. abortion clinics since 1977.
In November 2015, Robert Lewis Dear Jr shot at police and civilians as part of a protest against Planned Parenthood - a reminder that, at its most extreme, direct action can become terrorism. Even where direct action is peaceful, critics argue it can ultimately cause more harm than good, as pressure groups put their own self-interest above the wider national interest.
Since 2013, workers for various fast food companies have used strike action to pressure their employers, and the Government, to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Critics argue that the government should not give in to calls to raise the minimum wage because, while it would benefit the protestors, it would cause broader economic issues.
