Interest groups Flashcards
1
Q
What are the 2 broad categories of pressure groups ?
A
- Sectional
2. Casual
2
Q
What are sectional groups ?
A
- Represent their own section in society
- Business and trade groups eg the American Business Conference
- Groups also represent individuals with a common gender, ethnic, religious or social characteristic eg NAACP
- They also include professional groups such as the American Bar association
3
Q
What are casual groups ?
A
- campaign for a particular cause or issue
- Casual groups may join single interest groups eg NRA or they may join an ideological group eg American Conservative union
- Think tanks are also causal groups eg Brookings institute
4
Q
What are the 5 functions of pressure groups ?
A
- Representation
- Citizen participation
- Public education
- Agenda building
- Programme monitoring
5
Q
Representation
A
- Grievances can be articulated
- Important link between the public and the politician, the governed and the government
- Through a pressure group , women, AA, Christians etc can have their views represented at all branches of government
6
Q
Citizen participation
A
- Increase the opportunity for ordinary citizens to participate in the decision making process between elections
- Also the opportunity to participate in a specific policy area eg pro-guns
7
Q
Pubic education
A
- Pressure groups attempt to educate public opinion + warn of possible dangers if not addressed
8
Q
Agenda building + example
A
- Attempt to influence the agendas of political parties, legislators and bureaucrats to give priority to their members interests
- Eg Berry and Wilcox is a manufacturer and distributor of CDs + DVDs so worked with the government to pay attention to problems of piracy of such goods as a result China promised to close down factories that were illegally duplicating American goods
9
Q
Programme monitoring
A
- May hold government to account in the implementation of policies to ensure they are fulfilled and regulations enforces
- Eg ACLU brought the first legal challenges to Trump’s EO on a 90 day ban on entry from 7 predominantly Muslin countries
10
Q
What are the methods used by pressure groups ? (4)
A
- Electioneering and endorsement
- lobbying
- Voting cues
- Organising grassroots activities
11
Q
Electioneering and endorsement
A
- Pressure groups actively support or oppose presidential and congressional candidates on the basis of their position on policy areas
- 2016 : National Right to Life endorsed Trump whilst pro-choice group NARAL supported Clinton
- Publication of the League of conservation voters publishes it’s dirty dozen list eg 2016 3/12 on the list were defeated
12
Q
Lobbying
A
- Most effective : Providing detailed up to date information to those who need it
- The presence of lobbyists is overwhelming in Washington + referred to as K street corridor
- Some are built around former presidential aides eg the Podesta group was started by Clinton’s former chief of staff
13
Q
Voting cues and score cards (example)
A
- Liberal democrat groups look to groups like AFL-CIO to provide reassurance they are taking the right stand on a particular issue
- They publish how often legislators have supported policy positions in line with the views of that particular group
- AFL-CIO published it’s senate scorecard for 114th Congress and 22 senators all democrats had 100% compared to 2 republicans who had 0%
14
Q
Organising grassroots activities
A
- Organisation of social media or a phone blitz on congress or the white house (there are even firms that orchestrate mail, email and telephone blitzes)
- Marches are also sometimes aimed when other methods aren’t appropriate
- Whenever SC decides on controversial issues, Washington is filled with people from pressure groups representing the opposing sides of the argument
15
Q
In 2016 what was the revenue of federal lobbying ?
A
- $3.1 billion (only the income that must be disclosed
- Hundreds of millions more are spent on grassroots campaigns, public relations, strategic advice etc
16
Q
Sierra club example of influence
A
- Aims for stricter laws regarding environmental protection
- Trump withdrew from the Paris climate agreement HOWEVER Biden has since rejoined
17
Q
Emily’s list
A
- Supports female candidates early in the process so they can demonstrate their ability to raise money later in the electoral cycle
- Attempting to get more women in congress
18
Q
Example of failures of women’s rights pressure groups
A
- National organisation for women unsuccessfully for a passage of an equal rights amendment to he constitution during the 1970-1980s
- They have remained active : campaigning on issues like equal pay + job opportunities for women
- Also involved in attempting to root out sexual harassment in the workplace including cases in the US military
19
Q
Lobbying of abortion rights
A
- Since 1973 Roe v. Wade :
- Pro-choice groups have fought to preserve the constitutional right of women to have an abortion
- Pro-life have fought to have it narrowed and overturned
20
Q
National rifle association
A
- Membership of 3 million
- Seeks to uphold the second amendment ‘right to bear arms’
- Involved in the SC case of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
21
Q
The ‘we are the 99%’ movement
A
- Attempted to address the issues of economic inequality
- Drove a good deal of the substance of public and political debate
- Obama administration, the Democrat party leadership and American Labour union movement initially showed sympathy
- Less influential than the Tea Party Movement
22
Q
Impact of pressure groups on government ? (4 methods)
A
- Lobbying members of congress
- Lobbying congressional committees
- organising constituents
- Publicising records and endorsing candidates
23
Q
- Lobbying members of congress
A
- Pressure groups make direct contact with congress and senior members of staff
- Any pressure group website has directions on how to make direct contact with members of congress
