Pressure Groups

Question 1

Roughly how many members does the American Association of Retired People have?

Answer 1

40 million

Question 2

Roughly how many members does the NRA have?

Answer 2

4 million

Question 3

Who is Wayne LaPierre?

Answer 3

Head of the NRA

Question 4

Which PG is “Trump’s biggest ally”?

Answer 4

The NRA

Question 5

Define pluralism.

Answer 5

Where political power is distributed among a number of groups representing widely different interests.

Question 6

Define elitism.

Answer 6

Where political power rests with a small, privileged group

Question 7

What are institutional PGs?

Answer 7

Those which represent organisations and groups.

Question 8

Give three examples of institutional PGs.

Answer 8

American Business Conference, the Teamsters (truck drivers’ union), National Farmers’ Union, American Medical Association.

Question 9

What are membership PGs?

Answer 9

Those which represent individuals rather than organisations.

Question 10

Give three examples of membership PGs.

Answer 10

NRA; American Conservative Union; Sierra Club; Heritage Foundation (Conservative think tank).

Question 11

What are the five major functions of PGs?

Answer 11

Representation; Education; Monitoring; Agenda building; Participation. (Mnemonic: REMAP.)

Question 12

What three reasons might bring someone to join a PG?

Answer 12

Material benefits (what’s in it for me?); purposive benefits (what’s in it for others?); solidarity benefits (I can join up with like minded people).

Question 13

What four main methods do PGs use to advance their aims?

Answer 13

Electioneering and endorsement; lobbying; publicity; grassroots activity.

Question 14

What freebies do you get if you join the NRA?

Answer 14

A heavy-duty duffel bag and a free subscription to a gun-related magazine.

Question 15

What is the difference between a PAC and a SuperPAC?

Answer 15

PACs are limited to donating $5000 per candidate per campaign, but the money can go directly to the candidate. SuperPACs have no limits on the amount they can spend, but they cannot contribute directly to candidate campaigns or parties.

Question 16

How much did PACs contribute to the 2015-16 election cycle? Which was the top contributor?

Answer 16

£1.4bn (fec.gov) in total; top contributor was National Association of Realtors (almost $4m - opensecrets.org).

Question 17

Why do PACs tend to give most of their money to incumbents?

Answer 17

Because that gives them the best chance of backing a winner, and therefore getting their agenda raised in Congress.

Question 18

NARAL and NRL endorsed who in 2016?

Answer 18

NARAL (pro-choice): Clinton. NRL (National Right to Life): Trump.

Question 19

What are the Dirty Dozen?

Answer 19

The League of Conservation Voters’ twelve most environmentally unfriendly Congressmen in areas where LCV voters might be able to unseat them.

Question 20

How much did 2016’s top spending lobbying firm dispense, and who was it?

Answer 20

Akin Gump et al; $36m.

Question 21

What is significant about the Podesta Group’s founder?

Answer 21

His brother is John Podesta, Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff who also ran Hillary’s campaign - so it is an incredibly well connected lobbying firm.

Question 22

Which Senator has never voted in line with AFL-CIO (like our TUC) views?

Answer 22

Ben Sasse, Nebraska.

Question 23

Why is America such a fertile place for grassroots activity?

Answer 23

There are many access points: devolved power means there is local, state and federal government to lobby, as well as state and federal courts and the executive itself; the congressional committee system.

Question 24

What is astroturfing, and give an example.

Answer 24

Pretending to have grassroots support when none exists. Western States Petroleum Association is said to have run 14 supposed grassroots consumer associations to exaggerate public support for its member companies (BP, Shell, Exxon).

Question 25

What five factors determine PG success?

Answer 25

Wealth; organisation and leadership; membership; effectiveness of opposition; achievability of goal).

Question 26

A 2014 Princeton University survey found what relationship between support for a proposed policy change, and wealth?

Answer 26

Where the proposed change had low support among the wealthy, about one in five, it had about an 18% chance of success. When four in five wealthy people supported a proposed change, the chance of success rose to 45%.

Question 27

What does EMILY’s List stand for and do?

Answer 27

Early Money Is Like Yeast; it campaigns to get more women into elected positions.

Question 28

What did NARAL and NRL call Neil Gorsuch?

Answer 28

NARAL: “an existential threat to legal abortion.” NRL: he will “protect the lives of unborn children.”

Question 29

What is Occupy’s slogan?

Answer 29

We are the 99%.

Question 30

What is the rough membership of standing committees in the House and Senate, and why is it relevant?

Answer 30

40 and 16 respectively; because membership is fairly constant, PGs and lobbyists find it easy to build lasting relationships with members.

Question 31

What is an amicus brief and why is it relevant?

Answer 31

A report given the court by an “amicus curiae”, or someone who is not a party to the lawsuit but who has a strong interest in it. Relevant because it allows PGs or other interested parties to try to sway the court. Obama submitted one in Fisher v Texas, on the side of Texas; NRA submitted one in DC v Heller, in which the SC ruled that a DC law requiring that any handguns kept at home were disassembled was unlawful.

Question 32

Which PG is particularly active in seeking to influence the Supreme Court?

Answer 32

American Civil Liberties Union.

Question 33

What were the key terms of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, 2007?

Answer 33

Made the revolving door turn more slowly (Senators cannot lobby Congress for two years after leaving office); prohibited lobbyists giving gifts to congressmen; prohibited the use of private aircraft by Senate, presidential and VP candidates.

Question 34

What proportion of American Medical Association lobbyists have previously held government jobs?

Answer 34

19 out of 49.

Question 35

What is an iron triangle?

Answer 35

The strong relationship that can develop between PGs/lobbyists, the relevant congressional committees or figures, and the relevant government department or agency.

Question 36

Who works on K Street?

Answer 36

Lobbyists.

Question 37

What is atomisation?

Answer 37

The idea that the prevalence of PGs campaigning for smallish interest groups can mean lots of small groups campaigning for themselves, with consequent loss of influence.

Question 38

Complete this phrase from Senator Edward Kennedy: “America has the finest…”

Answer 38

“…Congress that money can buy.”

Question 39

Lee Drutman: “Congress has basically outsourced…”

Answer 39

“…its expertise to the public sector.”

Question 40

Sen Patrick Leahy (D-VT): Neil Gorsuch was…

Answer 40

“Selected by interest groups.”

Question 41

How many, and what type, of people attended the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) annual conference in 2017?

Answer 41

15000; senior people from both parties including Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.

Question 42

The American Legislative Exchange Council is a conservative group which proposes state-level legislation such as:

Answer 42

Stand Your Ground laws in Florida.

Question 43

John McCain: only by breaking what will sovereignty be restored?

Answer 43

Iron triangles.

Question 44

The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign had what effect?

Answer 44

Prevented the opening of 170 coal plants during the GWB years.

Question 45

Who did the Sierra Club endorse in the 2016 presidential election?

Answer 45

Clinton