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Politics C > Pressure Groups > Flashcards

Pressure Groups Flashcards

1
Q

Define Pluralism

A

Theory which suggests that political power in a society doesn’t rest simply with the electorate or with the governing elite, but is distributed amongst a number of groups representing widely different interests within society

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2
Q

Which author argued in favour of Pluralism?

A

Robert Dahl ‘Who Governs’

  • Political party nominations, urban redevelopment and public education
  • Democracy is all about compromise
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3
Q

Define Elitism

A

Theory which suggests that political power in a society rests with a small group who gain power through wealth, family status or intellectual superiority

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4
Q

Who argues that the US is an elitist state?

A

Wright Mills ‘The Power Elite’

- US ruled by a small governing elite, ordinary Americans had little control over how they were governed as a result

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5
Q

What are the 2 types of Pressure Group?

A

Membership

Institutional

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6
Q

What are membership pressure groups? Give an example

A

Seek to represent individual Americans rather than organisations and groups
eg. NRA (single issue)
NAACP (sections of society)

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7
Q

What are institutional pressure groups? Give an example

A

Seek to represent other organisations and groups

  • American Business Conference (business and trade groups)
  • US Chamber of Commerce
  • AFLCIO (trade unions)
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8
Q

What are the 5 functions of Pressure Groups?

A 
Representation
Citizen Participation
Public Education
Agenda Building
Programme Monitoring
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9
Q

How do Pressure Groups represent?

A

Form an important link between the public and the politician

- Can represent citizens strongest views that a senator can’t necessarily

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10
Q

Why is citizen participation a key function?

A

Many Americans seek far greater, more frequent participation in the democratic process
Participation in specific policy area (pro guns)

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11
Q

How do Pressure Groups educate?

A

Warn people of the possible dangers if issues aren’t addressed, as well as the likely effect of decisions made by the government

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12
Q

Give an example of agenda building

A

Manufacturers and designers of CDs and computer software forced the government to take action against wide scale piracy of their goods in China
- promised to shut down such factories

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13
Q

What is programme monitoring?

A

Scrutinising and holding government to account in the implementation of policies to ensure that promises are fulfilled, policies delivered and regulations enforced

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14
Q

Give an example of programme monitoring on pharmaceutical drugs

A

Bush announced plans to allow for private retirement accounts in January 2005 at his SOTU address

  • Club for Growth, conservative economic group, ran advertisements in favour
  • AARP sent mail to members and organised forums against the bill
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15
Q

What are the 3 main reasons for joining a pressure group?

A

Material
Purposive
Solidarity

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16
Q

What are material reasons for joining a pressure group?

A

Rewards that individuals or companies get in return for their donations to a pressure group

  • Sierra Club sends out a magazine with photo competitions
  • AARP gives health care insurance to its members
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17
Q

What are purposive reasons for joining a pressure group?

A

Joining a group in order to be part of a movement or cause, to try and make society a better place
- Some join Amnesty International, in order to draw attention to torture and violations of human rights

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18
Q

What are solidarity reasons for joining a pressure group?

A

Social benefits brought about by interacting with like minded people.
- Joining National Aubudon Society allows watchers to join their local chapter, and so participate in local wildlife events

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19
Q

What are the 4 main methods used by Pressure groups?

A

Electioneering and Endorsement
Lobbying
Publicity
Organising grassroots activities

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20
Q

What are PACs

A

Political Action Committees - Groups that collect money from their members and then give it to candidates and political parties that support their interests

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21
Q

Of the Top 12 Contributees in the Senate in the 2012 election, how many lost?

A

1

Scott Brown of Massachusetts, a Republican in a highly democratic state

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22
Q

What were the donations and results of such with Dave Camp in 2012?

A

Received 3 million dollars

Won 63% of the vote in the Michigan 4 District

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23
Q

What were the donations and results of such with Dean Heller in 2012?

A

Won the Senate seat in Montana with 46% of the vote

- Recieved 2.1 million dollars

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24
Q

How does the League of Conservation endorse candidates?

A

Publishes a ‘Dirty Dozen’ every 2 years, which are the 12 candidates who have the worst record on environmental conservation

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25
Q

What was the effect of the League of Conservations list in 2012?

A

6 incumbents were defeated, only 1 incumbent was re-elected

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26
Q

How did the AARP affect a 2012 election in North Carolina?

A

Put 10 questions to two candidates - Incumbent Hayes and Challenger Kissel
Kissel agreed with all 10 of the AARPs questions, Hayes agreed with none
Kissel was endorsed and won the vote 55% to 45%

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27
Q

Define Lobbying

A

An attempt to exert influence on the policy-making, legislative or judicial process by individuals or organised groups

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28
Q

What is the K Street Corridor

A

A reference to the fact that most pressure groups are based in Washington, where they can directly lobby members of federal, state and local government

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29
Q

What kind of Pressure Groups provide voting cues?

A

Democrats - AFLCIO, NAACP

Republicans - American Conservative Union, US Chamber of Commerce

30
Q

Give an example of issue advertising

A

AARP mounted a campaign against Bush’s proposals to reform social security to create private retirement accounts. Ad tried to persuade viewers that the plan was an over reaction

31
Q

How much did Future45 spend against the Democrats in 2016?

A

$24 million

32
Q

What are Blitzs and why might they not be effective?

A

Members of a pressure group send a huge amount of correspondence to the White House or legislators to attract their attention
- politicians expect these and so often pay little attention to the arrival of huge amounts of the same letter

33
Q

What other grassroots activity could pressure groups rally?

A

Marches or demonstrations to state and federal court houses

- Pro choice gathering outside Supreme Court upon Gorsuchs announcement

34
Q

How do Pressure groups impact Environmental protection?

A

Issue became important in the 19th Century, where industrialisation and westward expansion began

  • Sierra Club is a grassroots organisation
  • Friends of the Earth convinced the US government to compose reports on global warming
35
Q

How have the Sierra Club impacted Environmental protection?

A

Petition in 2012 brought the US department of Interior to protect 11 million acres of the Western Arctic Reserve from oil and gas drilling

36
Q

How do Pressure groups impact on Women’s Rights?

A

League of Women voters and National Organisation for Women are highly active in campaigning for equal pay and job opportunities
- ACLU led a march in 2017 to protect women’s rights from the Trump Administration

37
Q

How do Pressure Groups impact Abortion rights?

A

Since Roe vs Wade (73) pro choice groups have fought to protect the ruling, which pro life groups have fought to have it narrowed and overturned
- both sides have lobbied the Senate over SC nominees

38
Q

How do Pressure Groups impact on gun control?

A

NRA has a membership of over 3 million
- seeks to uphold the strictest interpretation of the 2nd amendment. Oppose tougher gun control laws proposed by governments

39
Q

What is the Democratic view of the NRA? [4]

A
  • they have prevented debate on gun control
  • control congress
  • own the Republican Party
  • many members are afraid to upset the NRA
40
Q

What is the Republican view of the NRA?

A
  • Few interest groups are more powerful than they are
  • Majority of the US supports the NRA
  • best single issue group in the US
  • influence is deserved due to its membership
41
Q

How do pressure groups impact economic inequality?

A

Collapse of the banking and finance sectors under Bush gave rise to the Occupy movement

  • occupied Zuccotti Park in NYC on 17th September 2011
  • Obama administration and the Democrats were initially interested, as it seemed to be a liberal version of the Tea Party
42
Q

Why did the Occupy movement fail? [3]

A
  • When it became violent and confrontational, the police had to shut it down
  • Didn’t buy into the political system. Felt that sitting in public places would prompt action from others
  • Leadership skewed towards youth, who often fail to take issues to the ballot
43
Q

How do Pressure Groups impact on Congress? [4]

A
  • Make contact with members of Congress as well as senior members of their staff
  • Make Contact with relevant congressional committees
  • Organise constituents to write to, telephone or visit members of congress to express views on a certain policy
  • Publicise voting records of congressional members
44
Q

Why do Pressure groups target standing committees?

A

Most of the legislative power within Congress rests there, so pressure groups can be highly successful if they target there

45
Q

What bill did the US Travel Association lobby support for in 2016?

A

TSA Check Expansion Act (Passed in Feb 2016)

- increased safety of aviation

46
Q

How do Pressure Groups seek to impact the executive?

A
  • Seek to maintain strong ties with relevant executive departments, agencies and regulatory commissions
  • Some are courted by the White on certain issues
47
Q

Why did Bush make contact with Christian Rights Groups in 2005?

A

Attempted to reassure them that SC nominee Harriet Miers was a like minded conservative in their interest
- Instead they lobbied against her

48
Q

Who lobbied the Defence Department to withdraw its rule that transgenders couldn’t serve in the army?

A

American Medical Association

49
Q

How do Pressure Groups seek to impact the judiciary?

A
  • Often interested in nominations to federal courts, especially those to the Supreme Court
  • Offer Amicus Curiae briefings
50
Q

What are Amicus Curiae briefings?

A

Groups not involved in a certain court case are given the opportunity to present their views to the court and potentially shape the view of the case in their favour

51
Q

Give two examples of Supreme Court decisions initiated by pressure groups?

A

DC vs Heller 2008 declared hand gun bans in DC unconstitutional (NRA)
Obergefell vs Hodges renewed same sex marriage in 2014 (ACLU)

52
Q

How do access points affect Pressure groups?

A

The number of them means that pressure groups can be highly influential and successful
- available at federal, state and local level in all 3 branches of government

53
Q

What is the main limiting factor in the regulation of pressure groups?

A

1st amendment right to freedom of speech and expression

54
Q

When was the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act and what did it do?

A

1946
- all lobbyists that were raising money to principally lobbying for or against a bill had to register with the clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate

55
Q

What did regulation legislation in the 1990s seek to achieve?

A

Expanded the definition of what qualified as a pressure group, making more groups register
Also banned gifts to members of Congress, including the ‘wining and dining’

56
Q

What 4 key areas did the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act in 2007 target?

A

Closing the revolving door
Prohibits gifts by lobbyists
Full public disclosure of lobbying activity
Congressional pension liability

57
Q

How did the HLOGA seek to close the revolving door and was it effective?

A
  • Prohibited senators from joining lobbying firms for 2 years after leaving Congress
  • Number has greatly reduced, though in 2015, of the 104 in the cooling off period, 29 were already lobbyists
58
Q

Was prohibiting gifts by lobbyists in the HLOGA effective?

A

It did significant reduce this, therefore levelling the playing field

Meals do still happen (Barbara Boxer and Tim Harkin in 2008). Can be just done ‘underground’

59
Q

How did the HLOGA seek to ensure public disclosure of lobbying activity and was it effective?

A

Civil penalties were increased for violating the Lobby Disclosure Act

  • Punishments easier to enforce
  • Lobbyists merely forced underground rather than stopping
60
Q

Were Congressional pension liability changes in the HLOGA effective?

A
  • Provided an incentive not to take lobbying money or commit crimes as they’d lose their congressional retirement benefits
  • Bribery is much more financially rewarding than pensions are
61
Q

What are the arguments in favour of pressure groups? [6]

A

Bring order to the policy debate
Provide legislators and bureaucrats with useful information
Broaden opportunities for participation
Increase opportunities for representation between elections
Increase levels of accountability for Congress and the Executive
Enhance the two fundamental rights of speech and expression

62
Q

What are the arguments against Pressure Groups (6]

A 
Revolving door syndrome
Iron Triangle syndrome
Inequality of groups
Buying political influence
Using direct action
Special interests
63
Q

What is the revolving door syndrome?

A

Former congressional officials act as lobbyists and use their experience and contacts to lobby their previous employers
- Chris Dodd works for Motion Picture Association of the US, 2 months after leaving his role as Senator of Connecticut

64
Q

What is the Iron Triangle syndrome?

A

Strong relationship between pressure groups, the relevant congressional committee and the relevant governmental department

65
Q

Why is direct action a negative aspect?

A

Violence can be used to pursue a political agenda

- violence is conducted around abortion clinics by pro life campaigners

66
Q

What are the 5 factors that lead to pressure group success?

A 
Effective Organisation and leadership
Wealth
Large membership
Effectiveness of opposition
Achievability of the groups goals
67
Q

How much did the US Chamber of Commerce spend on lobbying in 2015?

A

$64 million

68
Q

Act Blue has donated $67 million between which years?

A

1989 and 2012

69
Q

What is the membership of the AARP and the AFLCIO?

A

37 million

12.7 million in 2014

70
Q

Give two examples of groups struggling to deal with the effectiveness of opposition

A

Anti Smoking groups have to contend with the powerful and wealthy tobacco industry
- American Hunters and Shooters Association closed in 2010 due to the opposition from the NRA

Politics C (4 decks)

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