Participation Flashcards
What are the 3 types of interest groups?
Single-issue
Professional
Policy
What are some single-issue interest groups?
National Rifle Association (NRA)
- fight for gun ownership rights
⤷ funded the SC case District of Columbia v Heller 2008
⤷ court ruled that individuals could keep and bear arms for self defence within the home
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
What is amicus curiae?
‘Friends of the court’
Groups who can put forward a case in support in court
What are some professional interest groups?
American Farm Bureau Federation
- campaigned on immigration, tax, energy
American Family Association
- supports Christian values
- opposes LGBTQ, abortion
- currently 3-4 million members
American Medical Association
- 270,000 members (2022)
- varied donations to parties
⤷ 1996 - 75?% to rep
⤷ 2008 - 55% to dem
AFL-CIO
- largest federation of unions in the US
- more than 12million active retired workers
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
- issues affecting those 50+
- 2018 - 38million members
What are some policy interest groups?
Environment America
- champions concerns over global warming and wildlife reservation
League of Conservation Voters
- environmental protection group
- specialises in affecting electoral outcomes
- hold politicians to account
- campaigned to protect Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act
Why do people join interest groups?
- Material reasons - what’s in it for them
⤷ e.g. information - NRA members get magazines
⤷ e.. AARP offers health insurance - Purposive - what’s in it for others
⤷ e.g. Amnesty International - puts pressure on govt to improve how they treat people
⤷ usually for the more wealthy - Solidarity - interacting with like-minded people
⤷ e.g. National Audubon Society for bird watchers
How do PACs contribute to elections?
2010 - National Association of Realtors PAC gave $3.8m to candidates (biggest)
EV: No proven link between PAC money and how congressmen vote
⤷ direct lobbying has more of a proven impact
How can publicity be used to campaign by interest groups?
- Can change public opinion
- Influence actual voting behaviour
⤷ i.e. contacting potential voters - Publicity stunts
⤷ e.g. NRA used adverts to stop Obama introducing gun controls after the Sandyhook murders 2012
Who have interest groups endorsed as candidates?
2008 - AARP put questions to all candidates on their website
⤷ Kissel answered all questions which favoured AARP and won the House seat from incumbent Hayes
2012 - National Right to Life endorsed Mitt Romney
2020 - Focus on Family endorsed Trump
How are interest groups successful with their lobbying?
K Street corridor - area of Washington where all the HQs are
- many have members who are ex-executive branch members
⤷ e.g. The Ashcroft group was set up by W Bush’s attorney general
- More serious groups are looked to by parties
⤷ e.g. Democrats look to the NAACP and AFL-CIO for voting cues
⤷ e.g. Republicans look to US Chamber of Commerce
What is a ‘grassroot’ activity?
Activities used by movements to create change on a local/regional/national level
What grassroots activities do groups use?
- Groups aimed at legislators
⤷ e.g. postal ‘blitz’ on Congress - Marches and demonstrations
⤷ when lobbying is inappropriate
⤷ usually for controversial issues - i.e. abortion or gun control - violence
⤷ Oklahoma 1995 - bombing of a federal building by the far right
⤷ murder of Tiller (doctor who vocally performed abortions)
What makes interest groups successful?
- Effective organisation
- Wealth
⤷ worth $3.5bn in 2010
⤷ 2024 election cycle cost interest groups $14.7bn - Large membership
- Status
- Achievability of goals
How have interest groups been impactful to women’s rights?
- NOW campaigns helped introduce Equal Rights Act in 70s and 80s
⤷ still campaigning for equality in workplace - harassment and pay - pro-life and pro-choice groups
⤷ pro-choice - Roe v Wade 1973, Clinton’s refusal to ban partial abortions + SC’s refusal to let states ban them 2000
⤷ pro choice - Planned Parenthood v Casey
⤷ pro-life - Bush’s partial birth abortion ban law allowed by SC in 2007, Dobbs v Jackson 2022
How have interest groups been impactful to the economy?
- Occupy Wall Street movement
⤷ ‘We are the 99%’ captured political debates
⤷ demanded $15min wage after the financial crash 2008
⤷ heavily supported by the Service Employees International Union (SEIO)
⤷33 cities have increased minimum wage to $15 since
⤷ unheard of by 2009
How have interest groups been impactful to marijuana?
Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)
- Arizona - MPP got over 150,000 signatures to get marijuana legalisation on the ballot in Nov 2016
- Initial success
- Defeated 51% to 48%
How have interest groups been impactful to gun control?
- NRA
⤷ helped District of Columbia v Heller 2008
What is the iron triangle?
A relationship which develops between congressional committees, the federal bureaucracy, and interest groups during policy creation
What is the relationship between Congress and Bureaucracy in this triangle?
- Congress gives funding and political support
- Bureaucracy gives policy choices in return
What is the relationship between Congress and Interest Groups?
- IGs provide electoral support
- Congress gives friendly legislation in return
What is the relationship between IGs and Bureaucracy?
- Bureaucracy gives low regulation and special favours
- IGs give congressional support in return
How do IGs impact the president?
- Lobbies to bring legislative change
- Campaign for/against their election
⤷ Super-PACs raise funds
⤷PACs make direct donations
How do IGs impact Congress?
- Lobby leaders/ committees
- Propose/ introduce legislation through a congressman
How do IGs impact the SC?
- Litigate by taking cases to SC
- Lobbies
- Influence senate about SC nominations
Are IGs undemocratic?
Yes
- IGs don’t campaign for national interest
⤷ American Life League- 61% men and 64% of women support legal abortion in the US as of 2024
-⤷ NRA - 65% of Americans support stricter gun laws
- They are ran by unelected officials
- Highly unregulated
- Revolving-door politics
⤷ politicians constantly moving between jobs as legislators and lobbyists
- Too much money
- Aggressive lobbying methods
No
- Some interest groups are in national interest
⤷ Environment America - 53% of Americans oppose fracking
⤷ National Wildlife Federation - 87% said commitment to conservation is important
- Provide legislators with useful information
- Increases participation
- Enhances free speech
Are IGs too powerful?
Yes
- too much influence over SC
⤷amicus curiae
⤷ NRA - District of Columbia v Heller 2008
- funding/wealth
⤷ USCC (biggest PAC) - 2010 93% of funds to republicans
⤷ WinSenate - 287m against republicans
⤷ MAGA Inc - 286m against dems
No
- there is little research which correlates a relationship between PAC money and Congress voting
How have democrats changed/ stuck with their party platforms?
Death penalty
- 2012 - no promise to abolish
- 2016 - declared to abolish it (as it is a 8th amendment violation)
- 2024 - not mentioned, previously defended by Harris
Abortion
- 2024 - every woman should have reproductive control
⤷ mentioned due to Dobbs v Jackson 2022
Taxes
- wealthiest Americans must pay fair taxes
Healthcare
- since 2016 - healthcare is a right not a privilege
How have republicans changed/ stuck with their party platforms?
Death penalty
- 2016 - Condemned SC’s dial back of this
- 2024 - not mentioned
Abortion
- 2024 - an unborn child has fundamental right to life
Gay marriage
- 2012 - uphold DOMA
- 2016 - condemns US v Windsor
⤷ removal of marriage
Taxes
- 2012 - oppose tax cuts which divide Americans
- 2024 - tax cuts for the wealthy
Healthcare
- since 2012 - repeal Obamacare
How has the significance of parties changed?
- Party-line voting is easy to identify
⤷ Bush’s appointment of Kavanaugh to SC - senators voted in favour of him (50-48) despite sexual assault accusations during the vote - Factions emerging
- More partisan laws
- Public becoming more polarised
How is the significance of parties limited in Congress?
- Constituents
⤷ congressmen must be mindful of their constituents’ views - legal obligation and personal (i.e. re-election) - Congressional caucuses
⤷ members from opposing parties can unite on common interests (bipartisanship) - Interest groups
⤷ congressmen must take into account interest groups who fund their campaigns
What is the difference between a caucus and a faction?
Faction - small organisation within a larger one
Caucus - smaller groups/conferences within the faction
What are the 3 main factions of the Republican party?
Social Conservatives
Fiscal Conservatives
Moderates
What are the beliefs of the social conservatives?
- focus on social and moral issues
⤷ gun ownership, (anti) LGBTQ rights, abortion, immigration - evangelical beliefs
- plans to defund planned parenthood (2016/17)
- increasing in size
- members: Rush Limbaugh and Ted Cruz
What do fiscal conservatives believe?
- Economy is the focus
⤷ reduce govt role - i.e. less taxing, expenditure cuts, deregulation - Dominant faction
⤷ Main cause for opposing Obama’s policies
⤷ seen in the Freedom Caucus (furthest right group - members of Tea Party and MAGA) - Represented by
What do moderates believe?
- Support fiscal and social beliefs but less extreme
- More bipartisan
- Some success with past 2 rep presidents
⤷ Bush - high expenditure
⤷ Trump - proposed $1tr infrastructure plan - Members: Susan Collins
⤷ RINOs (republicans in name only) - rose during Trump due to his extremist views
⤷ Dick Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala
What are the 3 main factions of the democratic party?
Liberals
Moderates
Conservative Democrats
What does the liberal faction believe?
- Promote main values of the democrats
- More critical of capitalism and corporations
- Want govt to expand their role in the economy
- More partisan
- Represented by Elizabeth Warren, Pelosi etc
Recently - vocal about dangers of free trade, i.e. need for workers’ rights and opposing the TPP
What do moderates believe?
- Less intense
- Less critical of capitalism and corporations
- More bipartisan
⤷ e.g. Clinton’s balanced budget - Favour free trade
⤷ e.g. Obama’s TPP support - More supportive of military intervention and expenditure
- Represented by Obama and Clintons
What do conservative democrats believe?
- ‘Blue Dog Democrats’
- Shrinking
⤷ 2020-22 only 19 and 10 in 2024 - Originated from civil rights movements in the south in the 50s and 60s
- More conservative on social on moral issues
⤷ e.g. favour gun ownership and strong immigration control - Represented by Jim Costa
⤷ voted in favour of restricting Syrian refugee entry, and reluctant to support Obamacare
What is the caucus which fights for civil rights?
Congressional Black Caucus
- Officially non-partisan
- Policy focused on ensuring civil rights
⤷ e.g. Justice in Policing Act 2021 after George Floyd
- African American members
- First popular after Nixon refused to meet with them after their boycott of the State of Union 1971
Which caucus supports women’s rights?
Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues
- Bipartisan membership
- House of Rep
- Represented Congress at UN world conferences
- Helped get the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and the Violence Against Women Act passed
What was the gender exit poll in 2024 compared to 2020?
2020
Men - 53% republican
Women - 57% democrat
2024
Men - 55% republican
Women - 53% democrat
What was the ethnicity exit poll in 2024 compared to 2020?
2020
White - 58% republican
Black - 87% democrat
Hispanic - 65% democrat
(Non-white - 71% democrat)
2024
White - 57% republican
Black - 86% democrat
Hispanic - 51% democrat
(Non white - 64% democrat)
What was the age exit poll in 2024 compared to 2020?
2020
18-29 - 60% democrat
30-44 - 52% democrat
45-64 - 50% republican (1% neither)
65+ - 52% republican
2024
18-29 - 54% democrat
30-44 - 51% democrat
45-64 - 54% republican
65+ - 50% republican (1% neither)
What was the education exit poll in 2024 compared to 2020?
2020
No degree - 50% republican (2% neither)
Degree - 55% democrat
2024
No degree - 56% republican
Degree - 56% democrat
What was the economy exit poll in 2024 compared to 2020?
2020
Good/excellent - 78% republican
Not good/poor - 80% democrat
2024
Good/excellent - 92% democrat
Not good/poor - 70 % republican
How do demographics link to the UK?
Left wing: Atlee’s NHS and FDR’s New Deal
Right wing: tax cuts
Difference:
- Socialism never took over in US
⤷ mainly stops at liberalism
- Voter alignment more set in the UK
What are rational comparisons between democracy and participation in UK vs US?
- Voters choose the party which gives them the best outcome
⤷ seen through the increasing party dealignment - Party-line voting is determined by the career aspirations of those in the party
What are cultural comparisons between democracy and participation in UK vs US?
- Expectations that socioeconomic groups stick to a certain party
What are structural comparisons between democracy and participation in UK vs US?
- Access points for pressure groups are determined by the political structure of the country
- Constitutional framework determines the electoral processes
