Pressure Groups Flashcards
What are the two branches?
Sectional and causal
What is a sectional pressure group?
Business and trade groups, unions or professional groups that represent a section of society
What is a causal pressure group?
Single interest groups, ideological groups, policy groups or think-thanks
What are the three categories of pressure groups?
Policy Groups
Professional Groups
Single Interest Groups
What are policy groups?
A group aimed at influencing a whole area of policy
What are professional groups?
A group that represents the economic interests of its professionally homogenous members
What are single interest groups?
A group that cares specifically about one certain policy issue
Give examples of policy, professional and single-interest pressure groups
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) represents relations foreign policy, aid, military coordination and trade (Policy)
American Medical Association (AMA) represents doctors and medical professionals in America (Professional)
National Rifle Association (NRA) focuses on maintaining the 2nd Amendment and allowing people to keep their lethal weapons despite constant mass shootings (Single-Interest)
How are pressure groups democractic?
Pluralism: If all interest groups are free to compete to influence officials, they’ll balance each other out.
The more groups there are, the less likely it is that any one group could gain a corrupting influence over the government.
They encourage more political participation. Elections only happen twice a year - federally speaking - but with pressure groups, people can get involved and actively influence the government, empowering democracy.
How are pressure groups not democratic?
While it can encourage participation, many aren’t heard due to large, wealthy pressure groups dominating. For example, the NRA only has membership equating to roughly 1.5% of the population but has a budget of over $330 million
Wealthy groups also usually have more time to devote to lobbying as they can afford to pay experienced lobbyists.
Congress is much more likely to enact laws supporting the wealthy than the poor due to the Iron Triangle
What is the iron triangle?
The iron triangle comprises the policy making relationship amongst Congress committees, the bureaucracy and pressure groups.
How does the Iron Triangle work?
Pressure groups provide electoral support to Congress and provide support to the bureaucracy (FDA, DOJ, CDC etc)
Bureaucracy provides lax regulation and special favours to pressure groups and provides Congress with favourable policy
Congress provides funding and promotes favourable legislation for pressure groups and funding and political support to the bureaucracy
