Methods And Tactics Used By Pressure Groups Flashcards
How are PGs involved in electoral campaigning?
-they endorse candidates, make campaign donations + release voting ‘scorecards’
-encourage their members + public to vote for candidates
How are PGs involved in electric, campaigning in terms of funding?
-PGs donate funds to political campaigning
-amount candidates’ official campaigns can raise limited to PGs give money to PACs + Super PACs
What is an example of PG funding electoral campaigns?
-2018 league of conservation voters spent $85m on campaigning
-able achieve aim winning house of reps back for Dems with nearly 60 of their new congressional candidates elected
How do PGs influence electoral campaigns through scorecards?
-release them to show voters how candidates score on certain key policies
-analysis of voting record, comparison of positions with other candidates
What is an example of a voting scorecard?
-NRA allocates each candidate grade from A to F based on their voting record on gun rights
What is lobbying?
-PGs influence members executive or legislature by meeting with them
-try to convince executive + legislators adopt positions that align with their aims
How is the right to lobby protected?
-protected by the constitution
-first amendment right to ‘petition gov for a redress of grievances’ - complaint
-for PGs ‘grievance’ is area of gov wish to change
How do PGs lobby?
-through insider contacts
-professional lobbyists
-revolving door syndrome
How do PGs have insider contacts?
-PGs have offices in Washington DC allow them access federal gov + Congress
What are these insider contacts?
-develop relationships with members of Congress who may be persuaded introduce laws to help their cause
-meet with key gov officials connected to policy area incl cabinet officers, etc.
How else is this building of insider relationships helpful?
-building relationships with staff of important players in Congress or WH a way to win influence
What is an example of a pressure group using insider contacts?
-NRA works closely with law makers + gov officials to influence gun legislation
-lobbied law makers pass gun control act 1968 opposing stricter regulations
-after mass shooting Sandy Hook Elementary School - used influence push back against gun control measures
What are professional lobbyists?
-PGs with sufficient financial resources uses professional lobbying firms
-firms are clustered around ‘K street’ DC (‘K street corridor of influence’
How much was spent in federal lobbying on 2019?
-$3.47b spent on federal lobbying
-companies + business PGs lobbied gov regarding Trumps new trade deal with Mexico + Canada
-pharmaceutical companies opposed price controls on medical drugs
What is an example of a PG using professional lobbyists?
-AMA employs team professional lobbyists to influence healthcare legislation + policy
-lobbied for provisions to benefit physicians + improve patient care in affordable care act 2009
What is the revolving door syndrome?
-lobbying firms try to hire lobbyists who previously worked in executive branch of Congress
-Congress a ‘revolving door’ for politicians + lobbyists
What does the revolving door allow firms to take advantage of?
-take adv of ready made contacts within exec or legislature
-60% Congress leave to take up lucrative jobs as lobbyists
What is an example of a high profile ‘revolver’?
-lawyer Eugene Scalia became sec of Labor 2019
-he first worked for G.W Bush admin before lobbying behalf of US chamber of commerce + rep companies like Chevon + Facebook
What is the iron triangle syndrome?
-Large scale expenditure projects most likely to succeed when there is support from certain areas
Where does the support come from?
-gov deps that want initiate + manage project
-interest groups want to profit from providing goods + services
-members congress which stands benefit electorally from deal
What is an example of the iron triangle syndrome in action?
-PG American Farm Bureau Federation works closely with agri dep
-collaborate to shake farm subsidies, regulations + policies that benefit farmers
How has Congress tried to regulate lobbying to avoid it becoming too elitist?
-through legislation such as Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995 + Honest Leadership and Open Gov act 2007
-tight restrictions on gifts from lobbyists to members of Congress
How is it argued that the lobbying industry is elitist?
-wealthy PGs able buy influence
-e.g. US chamber commerce spends more on lobbying they other organisations $77m 2019)
What was one of the US chamber of commerce’s aims in 2019?
-to convince Congress to pass US-Mexico-Canada agreement which it achieved with 36 members of Congress
-77m helped achieve this
Why isn’t wealth always helpful?
-US chamber commerce couldn’t convince trumps admin reverse tariffs on goods from china + EU despite the negative impact of tariffs on US businesses
How did Trump impact the lobbying Ind making it elitist?
-hired 281 lobbyists work in gov
-4x lobbyists Obama appointed in 6 years
-Trump also had close ties to no. professional lobbyists allowing them access to admin
How did this contrast to trumps earlier view?
-2016 presidential campaign he said he would ‘drain the swamp’ in DC
-but once pres he didn’t show any inclination to ‘drain the swamp’ of lobbyists
