INTEREST GROUPS - are they good/bad for democracy? Flashcards
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Balancing the tyranny of the majority?
Tyranny of the majority = in a democracy, it is easy for larger groups with the majority of votes to dominate and disregard the minority.
Founding Fathers KNEW society would fragment into smaller groups, beyond the Dems and Reps.
James Madison: ‘…society itself will be broken into so many parts… that the rights of individuals, or of the minority, will be in little danger from interested combinations of the majority’
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How do interest groups offer Americans opportunities to engage with politics?
US elections see incredibly low turnout for minorities, low income, and young voters.
Interest groups ensure apathy from gerrymandering, FPTP, and winner-takes-all system, is appeased.
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How do interest groups ‘ donations undermine democracy?
2020 - 2000 groups organised as Super PACs reported total expenditures of $77,000,000 in the 2019-2020 election cycle
The rich have more political leeway - the decision by Citizen’s United v FEC suggested that money = free speech.
But in 2012, 68% of the donations in the election cycle came from just 1% of donors - rich people have a BIGGER SAY
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How is interest groups’ educational function damaging our democracy?
Interest groups may provide evidence to Congress/Exec
Other groups submit amicus curiae briefs to SCOTUS
Grassroots approach mobilises the public and pressurises representatives
They only discuss THEIR INTERESTS
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Transparency of interest group activity
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act 2007 requires lobbyists to file reports on their lobbying activity every 3 months and financial reports every 6 months.
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The legal definition of ‘lobbyist’
The regulations of the HLOGA 2007 only apply if you meet the legal definition of a ‘lobbyist’ - this means you must spend more than 20% of your time writing contracts.
This means increasing numbers of people are unregistered lobbyists who are ‘strategic advisers’ etc.
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Special interest above public interest
Interest groups may only represent a very small minority - at times, they put their special interest above the greater public interest.
2013 - did 45 senators oppose background checks because they were against public interest or because they were under pressure from gun rights interest groups who may impact their re-election?
