topic 5.3 pressure groups Flashcards
what did the founding fathers think of interest groups?
interest groups are another form of faction and they were worried about their power
why does the US politics system make interest groups so effective?
- multiple layers of governemnt, repreesntative and state legislature means there are far more accsess point
- codified nature of constituion means that rights can be protected better especially when cases are taken to the supreme court
- loose party control means that indiivdual cna determine own policy ideology and therfore can be supported by interst group financially who will then advance their interests in congress
- elections are numerous nad frequent so there is a song opporunity to use donations to influence electoal outcomes (super PACS)
how can money influence interest groups’s influence on policy?
stong fiannce means they cna run fore effective public campaigns and spend more money on lobbying and ogranise grassroots campaing more effectivley
IE can pay people to vote on behalf of interest groups like the NRA
how can accsess effect interest groups influence on policy
revolving door in politics menas that many retired congressmen will work for interst gorups
in 2018 340 formed congressional staff worked for lobbying firms
how can expertise help influence policy
establishing expertise in a area help to appeal to the public with authoirty
for example rights groups need constitutional lawyers to help them take cases to court
why are the NRA’s power decreasing
in recent years they have been accused of acting illegally
the new york state attourney riled a lawsuit agains thtem for fraud and abse
ex the funds form the NRA have been used to fund la perrier’s lavish lifestyle
even money being taken from the more charitable side of the nRA which is supposed to teach gun stafetey to fund lavish lifestyle
becoming less reputable
what is lobbying
lobbying is a multimillion dollar profession where groups of indursty professionals provide politicnas iwth infromation that can play in the intersts groups favour in legisation
example of lobbying
ex. citigroup influences proposed bill in 2013 to roll back part of the dodo frank financial act that would allow businesses to to use savers money to trade in stocks (which caused the crahs) although didnt pass shows influence as working was almost exactly what the lobbyists said
why is lobbying so effective?
evidently change change politicans opijions and get laws passed in favour (like NRA)
but effectivness comes from the multiple layers of govenment to accsess
example of report cards
the league of conservation voters who are a environmental rights group produce a ‘dirty dozen’ each year which is the 12 more dangerous politicals to the enviroment based on their voting records
in 2011 11 out of 12 were defeated
limits to effectivness of report cards
it depend s on their istict and the views of their constituents.
for example if a district doesnt really care about entirmetnal polisy they are unlikely to vote them out based on dirty dozen
example of campaign finance/ electioneering
electionerring or ‘offering endoresemnt’ is effective
NARAL has a list of candidates on their website who they support. voters can see these people and potentially vote accordingly
limits to capmiagn finance/electioneering
- after the FEC court case direct donations of large abouts of money are limited
- electioneering only helps voters on one speciifc issue and cant directly change policies of law makers
how is electioneering effectice
can help guide first time or un-partisan voters who to vote for to portect their values
example of grassroots action:
ca be direct protests or direct action
NRA published a number of direct action videos attacking joe manchin about his bakc anf forth view on 3nd amdenment claiming that ‘jow manchin is the problem’
example of legal methods?
ACLU wrote a 38 page amicus curair breif in the snyder v phelps case defening the homophobic actions of the westborough baptist church due to 1st amendment and free speech
limits of legal action
expensive
supreme court only take a few cases a year
depend son ideological split of justices
who are AFL-CIO and what are their methods
largest trade union in US with 12 million members
2016 visited white house 6x to looby concerns over affrodibale care act which htey supported
in 2012 enocuraged 50,000 new voters
send out 12,000 anti trump leaflets (but didnt prevent him from winning especially the wc vote)
succsess of league of conservative voters effecting polcy
opposed keystone pipeline and spend millions lobbying congress against it was passed but stopped in a 2015 presdintial veto which shows some succsess
but turmp in 2017 and 20021 saw exective orders to keep making it
what amendemnt is ACLU focused on and how many new memebrs after trump was elelcted?
1st amednemnt (snyder v phelps)
120,000 new memebers after trumps election
NARAL main lobbying issue
high push to get the pro-life justice brett kavanaughs appointment to be voted down in the senate. with slogans such as ‘kavanope’
created comotion and intenfied his alegations of sexual assault, alough he wasnt appointed it did bring a lot of attention to thsi issues
example of marijuana policy project direct democracy
- initiatuives wehre people can sing petitions to spark arefernedum on legaltising weed.
- arixoma the initiative collected 50,000 signatures in 10 weeks and got a refendum on it but lost the vote 51 to 48%
in 2016 8 states legalised weed
what are iron triangles?
- a relationship developed between congressional committees and federal beurgacy and itnerst groups during the policy creation process
how can memberhsip affect succsess
large membership means that due to the electoral cycle in the US a group who can mobilised many voters sucha s the AFL CIO pose a signfiicant treat to congres relection
similarly who is in the group is important ex big doners like docotrs and lawyers
NRA lobbying
so big and well organised that they have their own lobbyign department.
LaPierre lobbied the 115th congress on hundered of issues
in 2013 gave evdience directly to congress called ‘what should america do about gun violence’
advcating ofr greater gun education
