Pressure Groups Flashcards
What are pressure groups and how are they different to political parties?
Parties seek to return officials to elected office and have policy focus on many different elements whereas pressure groups have one specific focus which they have a depth of knowledge on.
What functions do pressure groups preform in America?
- Pressure groups represent minority issues and groups that are not large enough to be represented through national electoral recognition.
- They hold the govt to account
- Engage in adjenda building
How do many pressure groups deal with the idea of ‘Free Riders’?
- Free Rider= when a interested party doesn’t participate in a movement and instead lets others work on their behalf
- offer incentives to join
How can pressure groups be defined by their aims
- Sectional Groups: represents their members
- Promotional grous- promotes their message
What different types of sectional & interest groups are there in USA?
Buisness- Alliance of automobile manufacturers
Professional- American Medical association
Labour Groups- United Auto Workers
Agricultural groups- NFU
What are umbrella groups?
A pressure group representing lots of different specific issues. The US chamber of commerce includes many different sub groups for their respective industries.
What different types of cause/ promotional groups are there?
Single issue- NRA
Ideological- Civil Liberties Union
How can pressure groups be classified by their status?
Insider- Has the ear of the govt
Outside- Exists on the political fringe in a grassroots capacity driven by its members
What are social movements? How are they different to pressure groups?
While pressure groups have a clear strong structure and leadership and memebrship social movements have loose coalitions of people and organisations
How does the US constitution protect the work of pressure groups?
Institution- 1st amendment upholds the freedom of speech and also the bill of rights means that many pressure group activities are legally protected.
NAACPV- Used first amendment rights to protect itself and members
Why are there so many access points in America?
Def: places where pressure can be applied- clear separation of powers,
How does constitutional systems of checks and balances help pressure groups?
The separation of powers means that there are three distinct groups that can be lobbied by pressure groups. A president may not by sympathetic to a cause but congress might and the judiciary might.
How has the expansion of federal government help pressure groups?
Each state government represents an access point
Why is the spiralling cost of us elections an opportunity for us pressure groups?
Larger groups can donate to candidates which allows the candidates which are more sympathetic to a groups issues to have more influence.
Why are US parties weak and how is this an opening for pressure groups?
Primaries meant that party memers choose candidate- NRA raking primary candidates takes power away from the party.
Why does USA’s diversity result in huge numbers of pressure groups
Lots of minority groups all competing for executive attention such that pressure groups exist to bridge the two and bring minority interests to state attention
Economic diversity- Large amount of natural resources that can be exploited
How does USA culture encourage pressure group activity?
Hugely unequal country
allows pressure groups to represent all country’s diversity.
What is a professional lobbyist? Where are main lobbying firms base?
A lobbyist is a person who attempts to make a change to how a politician makes a decision. Many of these larger lobbying firms are based on Washington’s K Street.
What past experience do many lobbyists have? Why does this greatly help their work?
Many lobbyists have either past experience of working as a member of the executive or as a a congress person. This is because they either understand how the system works- revolving door…
What are standing committees and subcommittees?
permanent standing committees decide on if a bill goes onto the floor. this topic specific committee acts as a bottleneck for legislation. These larger topic specific committee has sub committees on even more specific topics.
Why do lobbyists target committees?
As the bottleneck for legislation legislation can clearly be stopped. Less people to influence. Clearly more efficient.
How do both lobbyists and members of congress benefit from a strong working relationship?
Congress people gain knowledge around what their constituency wants and the topic of that bill.
Lobbyists gain the influence that the need.
What is electioneering?
lobbyists funning funds to an opponent of an incumbent which they would like to take down and funnelling funding to a candidate that supports them. This compounds the support of those that supports them and disencorages support of those than dont. NRA.
Why do pressure groups spend so much money to support incumbents?
Pressure Groups prefer incumbents as they are known quantities, they have a track record of delivering.
