Interest Groups Flashcards
Evaluate the view that interest groups are more influential than political parties?
Paragraph 1: policy formulation
Paragraph 2: influence over the judiciary
Paragraph 3: participation and representaion
Paragraph 4: influence over elections
Paragraph 1: topic sentence for political parties
It could be argued that political parties are influential over policy formulation, as they form the legislative apparatus, given their ability to unify diverse factions, control legislative processes and shape broad policy platforms aligned with electoral mandates.
Paragraph 1 (point 1)
- political parties can unify factions to pass significant legislation, given their legislative control.
-the bipartisan infrastructure law (2021) which addressed infrastructure improvements like roads, bridges, public transit, broadband and water systems. Passed with bipartisan support, with 19 republican senators and 13 house republicans joining democrats.
-chips and science act 2022 which addressed national security concerns, supported domestic manufacturing and aimed at creating high-tech jobs. It passed with strong bipartisan majorities in both the senate and the house
-every student succeeds act (2015) replaced the no child left behind act, giving states more control over their education policies while retaining federal accountability measures
-passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Paragraph 1 (point 2):
- political parties establish platforms that serve as blueprints for policy initiatives
- the DNC’s 2020 platform emphasised tackling climate change through the Paris Agreement and clean energy investments, goals that were pursued once Joe Biden took office.
The Democratic platform in 2020 emphasised climate action, leading to inflation reduction act.
Paragraph 1 (point 3):
-political parties exert influence through committees whereby they control congressional committees and subcommittees, where legislation is drafted and amended.
- the Hispanic Caucus aligned with the Democratic Party, champions immigration ensuring key issues like DACA are integrated into broader party policies
Paragraph 1 (volta):
However, a more convincing argument is that interest groups wield greater influence over policy formulation due to their specialised expertise, lobbying networks and targeted advocacy, directly shaping legislative outcomes.
Paragraph 1 (point 1): interest groups
- interest groups specialise in single issues, offering Congress detailed data and expert advice via laser-focused advocacy,
-interest groups avoid such fragmentation, focusing on single issues with laser precision.
-hyper partisanship often weakens party influence over policymaking as democrats struggled to pass the ACA due to inherent divisions, watering down the final bill. Likewise with the inflation reduction act with Joe Manchin (West Virginia) - the American Medial Association shaped provisions in the ACA to protect physician reimbursements and oppose public options.
-The NRA has consistently blocked gun control legislation by providing detailed counterarguments and studies to lawmakers. - after mass shooting as of sandy hook in 2012, fortification of gun control policies never truly gain traction
Paragraph 1 (point 2): interest groups
- interest groups spend heavily on lobbying to influence lawmakers directly
- while committees are influential, they are heavily influenced by interest groups and lobby members. For instance, the NRA has successfully lobbied members of congressional committees to block gun measures, even when such policies align with the Democratic platform
- since 2010, the NRA has directed more than 140million to pro-gun election candidates
-in 2022, pharmaceutical companies spent over $350 million lobbying congress, ensuring favourable policies like extended patent protections for drugs.
Paragraph 1 (point 3): interest groups
- interest groups often work with congressional committees and federal agencies, forming stable networks of influence known as iron triangles
- defense contractors work closely with the house armed services committee and the department of defense securing consistent increases in military spending
- interest groups offer detailed accountable policy proposals: the Sierra Club provided specific legislative language for clean energy standards, while oil and gas lobbyists blocked renewable energy mandates by targeting individual lawmakers
-the NRA, particularly in the primaries, pour money and resources into campaigns of opponents who back more lax gun mandates. This acts as a threat and intimidates several politicians from defying the NRA’s agenda: described by congressional democrats as “owning” congress and the republican party
Paragraph 1 (point 4): interest groups
-interest groups provide voting cues to members of Congress, especially swing voters, offering them clear guidance on complex issues
-the Sierra Club provides recommendations on environmental legislation, ensuring that lawmakers align with their goals on clean energy and climate policy.
-the NRA publishes an A-F rating of lawmakers that grades elected officials on their voting records with respect to the 2nd amendment
-LCV Victory Fund “dirty dozen”: they have defeated 75% of the candidates named to the dirty dozen
Paragraph 1: closing line
While political parties exert some influence over policy formulation through platforms, legislative control and committee roles, their effectiveness is often undermined by internal divisions and hyper partisanship, in contrast interest groups leverage their expertise, lobbying power, and focused advocacy to exert a more decisive and consistent influence on policy making
Paragraph 2: topic sentence
It could be argued that political parties are more influential over the judiciary, primarily through their ability to appoint and confirm justices to federal courts, including the supreme court, and their ability to pass and override judicial rulings
Paragraph 2 (point 1):
- political parties control the nomination and confirmation process for federal judges.
-the Republican party successfully appointed conservative justices like Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett under president Trump, which significantly reshaped the ideological balance of the supreme court. - party priorities in judicial appointments reflecting the party’s strategic control over the judiciary.
- this could be seen as a strategic appointment of judges with specific ideological leanings, such as the conservative-majority supreme court overturning Roe v Wade in dobbs v jackson (2022)
-Brnovich v DNC (2021), where the conservative majority, shaped by republican-appointed justices, upheld voting restrictions in Arizona, narrowing the scope of the voting rights act and reflecting long-standing republican efforts to influence election laws through the judiciary
Paragraph 2: volta
However a more convincing argument is that interest groups exert greater influence over the judiciary, particularly through their ability to shape public opinion, file amicus briefs and influence judicial nominations behind the scenes where the inherent separation of powers between the three branches of government, limit the scope of political parties influence over the judiciary branch
Paragraph 2 (point 1): interest groups
-interest groups use legal expertise to sway judicial decisions through amicus briefs
-the NAACP legal defense fund was instrumental in the landmark decision of Brown v Board of Education by filing briefs and advocating for desegregation
-the NRA filed amicus briefs in DC v Hellar (2008) which led the SC to rule that the requirement to keep handguns in the house and disassembled was unconstitutional
-human rights campaign amicus briefs for Obergefell v Hodges (2015)
-while parties can pass laws to counteract judicial decisions, interest groups often provide the pressure needed for such legislative changes. They played a key role in mobilising public support.
Paragraph 2 (point 2): interest groups
- interest groups work closely with parties to influence judicial appointments
-they play a more direct role in shaping these appointments. The Federalist Society was instrumental in vetting these justices, pushing for nominees who align with a conservative interpretation of the constitution. Their influence in judicial nominations far exceeds that of the political party apparatus itself. Such as Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch. - ABA offer evaluations and recommendations that guide how senators vote on judicial nominations
-ABA issue ratings that significantly impact judicial confirmation hearings. The ABA’s endorsement of judges such as Ketanji Brown Jackson influenced Senate discussions and media narratives during her confirmation hearings. 8 out of the 9 justices have the highest band of rating ‘well-qualified’
Paragraph 2: closing line
While political parties have the power to appoint and confirm judges and pass laws that challenge judicial rulings, interest groups like the federalist society play a more focused, direct role in shaping judicial outcomes, surpassing the constraint of the separation of powers, making their influence over the judiciary even more influential
Paragraph 3: topic sentence
It could be argued that political parties are central to democratic participation and representation, as they mobilise voters, build coalitions and represent a wide array of constituents.
Paragraph 3 (point 1):
-parties use sophisticated strategies to engage voters to enforce and enthuse voter mobilisation
-the democrat’s party’s “Get Out the Vote” campaign in 2020, utilising digital organising and grassroots efforts, were pivotal in mobilising minority and young voters, securing a victory for Joe Biden
-Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign with populist messaging and social media whereby his campaign used Facebook to micro-target voters in swing states with tailored messages
- bernie sander’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns focused on issues like free college and healthcare for all and climate change energising younger voters and progressives
-in 2022, the democratic party worked aggressively to mobilise voters in response to the supreme court’s overturning of Roe v Wade (Dobbs v Jackson), rallying around the issue of abortion rights in key midterm battleground states like Michigan and Pennyslyvania
Paragraph 3 (point 2):
- political parties serve as “big tents”, uniting various factions under a shared platform
-the republican party’s long-standing appeal to rural, working-class white voters, particularly through the southern strategy, helped solidify a large coalition of conservative voters: trump’s “america’s first” policies appealed to both rural voters concerned about trade and immigration. This delivered unexpected victories in key states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. - joe biden’s campaign in 2020 focused on building a broad coalition by emphasising healthcare and unity alongside targeted outreach to african americans and latino voters. This strategy resulted in a record voter turnout, flipping key states like Georgia and securing democratic control of the presidency and congress
Paragraph 3 (point 3):
-parties unify disparate groups to achieve electoral victories and advance legislative agendas
-the democratic party’s coalition of minority voters, suburban professionals, and young voters helped deliver key victories in states like Georgia and Arizona in 2020
- stacy abram’s voter mobilisation efforts in Georgia in 2020 focused on registering African americans, young voters and suburban moderates. Its influence is highlighted by the democratic party flip georgia in the presidential and senate races: she established the Founding Fair Fight Action (2018), focusing on addressing voter suppression and expanding access to the ballot. This registered over 800,000 new voters in georgia between 2018-2020 including many from underrepresented groups such as african americans, latinos, and young voters.
Paragraph 3: volta
However a more convincing arguments is that interest groups are more effective at ensuring participation and representation, as they focus on specific issues and advocate for underrepresented groups
Paragraph 3 (point 1): interest groups
-interest groups are critical in shaping and sustaining this mobilisation. In particular, they mobilise constituencies overlooked by parties.
-groups like planned parenthood and naral pro-choice america launched large-scale voter education and grassroots campaigns that targeted suburban women and younger voters, ensuring the abortion rights issue was central to turnout efforts
-they often mobilise specific constituencies more effectively than parties. The AARP spent millions in 2020, focusing on mobilising older voters, who are a critical demographic in key swing states, ensuring their issues such as social security and medicare remained at the forefront.
Paragraph 3 (point 2):
-political parties often fail to focus on niche or emerging issues that interest groups represent more effectively. Interest groups remain focused on their issues regardless of political cycles, maintaining this engagement with the electorate’s wishes, enhancing their influence via promoting both representation and participation
-the human rights campaign as an LGBTQ+ advocacy group has consistently influenced policy and public opinion, especially around same-sex marriage and transgender rights, areas where political parties have often hesitated to take strong stances due to fear of alienating broader constituencies (Maine Equality)
-post sarah everard’s death, black lives matter galvanised millions of americans to protect police brutality and racial injustice, influencing policy debates at both state and federal levels.
-Although the Trump Administration has been decidedly unfriendly to transgender Americans, there is no question that transgender people have made substantial policy, political, and societal gains in recent years. These gains are the result partially of the activities of political organizations that advocate on behalf of transgender Americans.
-the Transgender Law Centre, collaborated with lawmakers and allied organisations to draft and promote legislation that safeguards transgender rights. The Respect After Death Act ensures that death certificates for transgender individuals accurately reflect their gender identity
-TLC engages in legal actions to challenge discriminatory practices and policies. Notably, in 2016, TLC filed a lawsuit on behalf of a transgender student prohibited from using the boys’ bathroom. The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the student, setting a precedent that such exclusions violate Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Paragraph 3: closing line
While political parties aggregate various interests and mobilise voters, interest groups are often more effective in driving targeted participation and sustained representation via organisations like AARP which focus on specific issues and demographics, ensuring their constituencies’ voices are heard even when parties fail to prioritise these concerns
Conclusion
Although political parties remain an integral part of US political life, the increasing influence of interest groups in shaping judicial nominations, voter participation and policy formulation suggests that interest groups play a more decisive role in influencing policy and political outcomes. Their targeted and focused efforts allow them to have a greater, more consistent impact than the broader and sometimes fragmented influence of political parties.
