interest groups Flashcards
whats the main substance of the debate around interest groups
- elitism vs pluralism
what are teh types of intest groups
- Sectional/Interest – inc professional groups
- Causal/Promotional – inc policy groups
evauate how inflecial US interst gorps are
- Groups’ rights are protected in consitution
- this means even extreemist PG are not under thret
1. for instace its not illegal to be a part o the KKK evn tho they have a hisory of hangings bomming nad arson. - 1st amendment premotes freedom of expression and assosiation
- some groups have their aims enshrined in the consitution e.g. gun rights
1. promotional interst group NRA ( national rifel assosiation has over 5 mill members) has been significnat in ensuring gun rights
2. In 2013, after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there was a push for comprehensive gun control measures, including expanded background checks, in Congress. The NRA actively opposed these efforts and lobbied against the proposed legislation. As a result, the proposed bill, known as the Manchin-Toomey amendment, failed to pass in the Senate
Competing Interests - Everytown for Gun Safety was influential in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act demostrighting how the intestes oen one group in sytem taht allows pluralism inhibis another - casual/ premotional group
2
- Politicians are open to persuasion ( lose lobbing laws)
- ( week parteies )
- no whips and politicis are primrilly foccused on the goals of their consituents ratehr than the party making them easier to target by interst groups
1. joe machin lobbied by the coal instry workers union the United Mine Workers of America was lobbied to oboycott the Clean Power Plan, an Obama administration regulation that aimed to reduce carbon emissions from power plants despite being agaist democrt interst he did so. - citozens united v. Fec
McCain feingold act and Federal Election Campaign Act - it introduced provisions that sought to regulate campaign finance and reduce the influence of money in politics and the power of interst groups along side it
1. e.g limits on hard money donations - 5,000 per PAC - FECA
2. what soft money danate dby interst groups could be sued for - limted potecial scale of a presure geoups intrest
1. Citizens United v. FEC in 2010 has lead to the cretion of Super PAC’s who can resive unlimmited donation from intrestest groups to finace a cmapain as long as they dont dirrectly cordinate with a candidate
3
- There are many access points #
- fragmented political system
- local, stated, senate house, supream court and presidency
- failer to inflence one insitution doesnt mena compleet failer
1. after amny intrest geoups failed to pass gay marrag elaws at ate levels they went to the suprema court in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). In this case, several interest groups advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), were involved in the legal battle
reduces power of inflence - the dispersed/ sperate nature of power means a intrest group may succed to influence one branch of governemtn but fail on a laregr level as governemtn may be divided.
1. American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). AIPAC is a powerful interest group that advocates for strong U.S.-Israel relations and supports policies that align with Israel’s interests. AIPAC has traditionally held significant influence in the Senate, where its lobbying efforts and campaign contributions have helped shape the U.S. foreign policy discourse on matters related to Israel. In contrast, AIPAC’s influence in the House of Representatives has faced more challenges. The House, with its larger membership and more diverse ideological makeup, presents a more complex landscape for interest group influence - Elections are numerous and frequent
- limited party finance ( no part membership fee)
- politicians are in constant need of capaign funds
1. all of congres very 2 years and 1/3 of the senate . president every 4 ( comared to UK 5 )
2. The American Bankers Association, which donated over $5 million to trumps capeign - 2016
expensive continual funding to ensure support
1.The American Bankers Association 500,000 to mitt romney scapein in 2012 ( waste as didnt make office)
what are the methods interst groups use to exert influence + possitve and negtive expale
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Grassroots activity:
1. social media or phone blitz, write ins, protests, demonstrations and direct actio
2. BLM protests - defund the police and less stricked crimes for non violent dug affenses failed
3. Open Internet Order 2015 - Fight for the Future, Free Press -
Publicity / advertising and capeign funding
1. NRA Armed Texans Who Stopped Church Shooters video, 4.2 million views
2. limmited reach -
Legal methods
1. after amny intrest geoups failed to pass gay marrag elaws at ate levels they went to the suprema court in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). In this case, several interest groups advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), were involved in the legal battle -
Lobbying
2. The American Bankers Association, which donated over $5 million to trumps capeign - 2016. Trump’s administration implemented regulatory reforms aimed at reducing regulatory burden on financial institutions
2. expensive continual funding to ensure support the American Bankers Association 500,000 to mitt romney scapein in 2012 ( waste as didnt make office). - report cards
- NRA A+ - F
evaluate how good interest groups are for US democrcy
pluralsm and greater Representation in a two party sytem)
* vital so politic sdoesnt become polarise and laerge chunks of the elctorate dont have their voices sienceld.
* helps keep parties engaged with the elctorate swishes and amke sure teh electorate can more dirrectly shpe pollicy
1. Open Internet Order 2015 - Fight for the Future, Free Press
2. Everytown for Gun Safety was influential in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act demostrighting how the intestes oen one group in sytem taht allows pluralism inhibis another
Inequality and Access ( of weathy )
2. The American Bankers Association, which donated over $5 million to trumps capeign - 2016. Trump’s administration implemented regulatory reforms aimed at reducing regulatory burden on financial institutions
2
informative role
1. Policy Expertise and Information
2. In May 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced updated nutrition labeling regulations, which included a specific line for “Added Sugars” on the label. this was thanks to Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) inforing them about the dier health risks of sugar.
lack of transparisy
* dark money contrabutions and the arey of super PAC and PAC’s make it hard to trace down who exectly is partatking in elctionearing and who has inflence over governemnt
* this can result in certain unlected officials having a disproportinal amoutn of influence on the US system
2
rights protection
1. after amny intrest geoups failed to pass gay marrag elaws at ate levels they went to the suprema court in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015). In this case, several interest groups advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, including the Human Rights Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), were involved in the legal battle
2. In 2013, after the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, there was a push for comprehensive gun control measures, including expanded background checks, in Congress. The NRA actively opposed these efforts and lobbied against the proposed legislation. As a result, the proposed bill, known as the Manchin-Toomey amendment, failed to pass in the Senate.
corruption revolving doors iron triangles and the millitry industrial complex
* agricultural industry, the House Committee on Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) they allow cetain fertalisers and pesiides in the us that are banned in other countries
1. lloyd austein defense sec beofre was a paert of Raytheon milliatry and think tank on the pay role and will likly have a job secured 2 years after his srvise. this means he is enighted to take political actions that will beifit the comany ( including millitry indveors) ( this is a part of th emillitary industrial complex is ehower warned of )
* this is a challege to the demortic nature of polics and the rights of citozens that might be effected by the dession
* however some legistaionlimits it
1. Federal Conflict of Interest Statutes makes it so that before joining the pay roll of any Interst group or corparation a politician or head of departemt must wait 2 years.
explain ion trinagles + give example
- interest groupd support congessial comitee mebers in relection
- in tern the comitee enacts legisation to help the group and cov departemets then befif feom the improved resources, expertise of the group
- agricultural industry, the House Committee on Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- farm subsidies, crop insurance programs, and agricultural research funding
whats an interest group and some of tehir succeses
- National Rifle Association (NRA)
- Second Amendment Advocacy
1. court: District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
2. lobbying: Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) in 2005. - protecting firearms manufactures agaist charges for the crimianl use of their wepons
whats an interest group and some of their failers
- NRA
- bipartizan safer comunities act
- In 2019, the New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the NRA, seeking to dissolve the organization due to alleged financial misconduct, fraud, and abuse of funds. The lawsuit highlighted issues such as excessive executive compensation, unauthorized expenses, and conflicts of interest.
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ways interest groups exert influence
- report cards - accountbaillity
- court cases
- lobbyign
- Campaign Contributions
- grass roots action
