!!!Pressure Groups - Methods of Pressure Groups Flashcards
Methods used by Pressure Groups
Fundraising Electioneering candidate endorsement Lobbying Voting cues / scorecards Organising grass-roots
Why do PGs target Congress
- Chief law-making body in the USA
- Divided govt. often gives PGs chance to water down legislation it disapproves of
- Congressional committees
What do congressional committees give PGs the opportunity to do
Committees are the ‘gatekeepers’ to legislation - provide opportunities for PGs to shape/block legislation before it reaches the floor of Congress
Why do PGs target the House of Representatives
Exclusive power to initiate money bills (budget passed by house)
Why do PGs target the Senate
Senate’s exclusive powers:
Foreign policy
Confirming appointments
Filibuster
Why PGs target the Senate: Foreign policy
Constitutional power to ratify treaties w 2/3 support
So PGs wishing to influence US foreign policy (AIPAC) target the Senate
Why PGs target the Senate: Appointment confirmation
Supreme Court nominations especially significant in recent times
Why PGs target the Senate: Use of the filibuster
The Senate’s unlimited right to debate is a factor for PGs to target individual senators
Why do PGs target the judiciary
Can influence the Constitution
How do PGs target the judiciary
- Amicus Briefs
- Producing dossiers on the life and judgements of nominees (E.g. Gorsuch’s record as a lower court judge)
- Letting their members know their view on nominees to all courts
What are amicus briefs
Where PGs contribute views in writing to the courts but do not necessarily directly involve them
- The intention is to influence the judgement with this additional information on one side of the argument
Weakness of amicus briefs
- There are so many of them
- Increasingly, corporations lose credibility in presenting information that is geared towards their own self-interest
What makes an effective Amicus Brief
Aiming to help the court but leaning in one direction
