Interest groups in the USA - their significance, resources, tactics and debates about their impact on democracy. Flashcards
Policy groups
to influence a whole area of policy, e.g. League of Conservative Voters (LCV), American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
Professional groups
to represent economic interests, e.g. American Medical Association (AMA), American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Relations (AFL-CIO)
Single-interest groups
to advocate policy surrounding a limited, specific issue, e.g. National Rifle Association (NFA), National Farmers Union (NFU), Teamsters (truck drivers), National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Black Lives Matter (BLM), Friends of the Earth, Faith2Action, Americans United for Life
Think tanks
a research institute (NGO) that performs research and advocacy concerning topics, e.g. Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), The Heritage Foundation, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)
Pluralist interest groups
The pressure groups represent widely different interests and demonstrate the distribution of political powers among groups -> widen participation
Elitist interest groups
the pressure groups represent interests of a small group who gain power through wealth, family status, or intellectual superiority -> increase participation on decision-making
Total federal lobbying in 2023 in $
Total federal lobbying revenue in 2023 amounted to $5.6 billion (Open Secrets, 2024), which includes only that income which must be disclosed under federal law.
how can people fund interest groups
Clients spend money on grassroots lobbying, public relations, consulting, strategic advice and many other forms of lobbying that make up the Washington lobbying sector. (criticism is the ‘insider’ relationship of groups with policymakers)
How do extremist groups get there point across
anti-capitalist or white supremacist groups use direct actions, e.g. protests, sit-ins, violence, etc. to publicise their aims.
The revolving door theory
Primarily, it denotes a situation wherein personnel move between roles as legislators or regulators in the public sector, and as employees or lobbyists of industries (affected by state legislation and regulations) in the private sector.
Interest groups may cause tyranny of the minority
the significance on judiciary, the interests of interest groups (e.g. Pro-life pressure groups) like the National Right to Life Committee supports the anti-abortion decisions, which can affect the health rights of American women who make up 49.6% of the US population
The interference of interest groups can damage representative democracy
the scorecards not only evaluate lawmakers’ performance and hold them accountable, they also create a sense of scepticism on the elected lawmakers (destroy the trustee model) while not all the leaders of the interest groups are elected.
iron triangle
the relationship that develops between congressional committees, the federal bureaucracy (e.g. EXOP), and interest groups during the policy creation process
Significance on elections
After gaining the right to donate from Citizens United v. FEC (2010), interest groups fund Super PACs with hidden money for election finance, e.g. Make America Great Again Inc., and advertise to support candidates or attack political rivals
They have their own scorecards on congresspersons to scrutinise how ‘well’ a congressperson is engaged to work for particular interests on public policies that align with the interest groups, e.g. NAACP Civil Rights Legislative scorecard on abolishing filibuster: F = failed (e.g. Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Alaska), A = Pass (e.g. Sen. Bernie Sanders in Vermont), I = incompleted (e.g. Sen. Joe Manchin in West Virginia)
Significance on the Legislature
Pro-LGBTQ+ interest groups exert support and influence over the legislation of same-sex marriage (and interracial marriage) by lobbying congresspeople like Sen. Susan Collins to reintroduce the Respect for Marriage Bill 2022, according to the overturn of Roe v. Wade (1973) by Dobbs v. Jackson (2022) and the statement made by SCOTUS judge Clarence Thomas about revising the verdict of Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).
Senator Mitt Romney (Republican) had received over $13.6 million in donations from the NRA over his career; avid supporter of the 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms)
In 2019, the NRA spent $3.22 million on the political campaigns for senators who opposed gun safety legislation.
In 2020, the NRA spent $2.20 million.
In the first quarter of 2022, NRA spent over $600K on lobbying and it is only expected to increase in the second half of this year amid the 2022 midterm elections as well as renewed demands for gun reform by liberals
Insider interest groups work with congresspersons in the iron triangle
NRA publishes an A-F rating of lawmakers that grades elected officials on their voting records with respect to the 2nd amendment (scorecards)
Significance on the Executive
In April 2021, Biden issued an “Executive Order on Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors”; increased to at least $15.00 an hour
Maintain strong ties with relevant executive departments on regulatory work of the federal government, e.g. Teamsters president Sean O’brian asked to speak to both Democrats and Republicans at their national conventions while yet to decide which party they are going to endorse
Teamsters’ PAC donated $45,000 to the Republican National Committee but they also donated some money to the Democrats
Trump signed an executive order to limit the budget and regulatory scope of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accompanied by the pro-coals interest groups like National Mining Association.
In 2019 Pro-life group the National Right to Life endorsed Donald Trump for re-election
In 2020 the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence endorsed Joe Biden
Significance on the Judiciary
Amicus curiae (friend of the court) - invited to stand in the court to give information and change the views of judiciary
NRA in 2008 played a significant role in the landmark case of D.C. v. Heller on the Washington D.C. handguns ban
In 2017 ACLU was back at the SCOTUS and fought in Gloucester County School Board v. G. G which was concerning transgender rights and gender discrimination
However, the ACLU amicus brief failed to persuade the judiciary to separate church and state in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2 022). Brennan Center for Justice in 2010 also failed to preserve the limits on corporate spending in elections after the amicus brief in Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
Legalised bribery?: In 2023 Justice Clarence Thomas was exposed by ProPublica that he accepted luxury vacations and gifts for over 20 years from billionaire donor Harlan Crow who serves the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) since 1996, which cost at least $4 million and only 27 gifts were disclosed
Significance on the State and Local Access Points
Dobbs v. Jackson (2022) started from the state court with the influence of Pro-life interest groups lobbying through amicus curiae, e.g. The National Right to Life Committee and the Center of Religious Expressions.
Don’t Say Gay Act 2022 is legislated as a Florida state law which states that homosexuality is not mentioned and discussed in public schools. This can be seen as the effort of lobbying state legislators by religious interest groups and anti-LGBTQ+ interest groups.
