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Gov & Politics > US Pressure Groups > Flashcards

US Pressure Groups Flashcards

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1
Q

How is the existence of pressure groups a key part of the US constitution?

A

The first amendment gives people the ‘freedom to assemble’, - constitutionally protecting the rights of pressure groups

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2
Q

Why do pluralists argue that having many competing pressure groups is good?

A

It allows government and people to hear both sides of the debate and come to their own conclusions

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3
Q

Why are believers of elitism critical of pressure groups?

A

Wealthy pressure groups have much more influence than poorer groups

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4
Q

What percentage of Americans support increased gun control?

A

60%

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5
Q

Examples of insider groups

A
  • American Medical Association
  • US Chamber of Commerce
  • NRA (depending on which party is in power)
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6
Q

Example of an outsider group

A

Climate Direct Action

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7
Q

Example of direct action

A

Climate Direct Action turned off the valves on 15% of crude oil imports in 2016

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8
Q

Examples of promotional groups

A
  • Greenpeace
  • ACLU
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9
Q

Examples of interest groups

A
  • NAACP
  • Christian Coalition of America
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10
Q

Why have social movements become more common in the 21st century?

A

The invention of social media

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11
Q

Tactics used by pressure groups

A
  • Electoral campaigning
  • Using the courts
  • Lobbying
  • Direct action
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12
Q

What are access points?

A

Places where pressure groups can aim to wield influence

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13
Q

Why does the US have many access points for pressure groups?

A

Federal nature means there are many different places which influence the law (e.g. federal government, state governments, courts)

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14
Q

How much did the League of Conservation Voters (environmentalist group) spend in 2018 on electoral campaigning?

A

$85m

Largely successful as the House was won back for the Democrats as 60 candidates they endorsed were elected

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15
Q

Aim of EMILY’s List

A

To get pro-choice Democratic women elected

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16
Q

How much did EMILY’s list spend endorsing Kamala Harris?

A

$5.5m

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17
Q

Example of a pressure group who scorecard candidates

A

NRA gives A to F ratings to candidates based on their gun records

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18
Q

How does the 1st amendment protect the right to lobby?

A

Guarantees the right to ‘petition the government for a redress of grievances’

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19
Q

Why do many pressure groups have offices in Washington DC?

A

To have close access to government representatives

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20
Q

Example of a company who regularly meets with politicians

A

Banks JP Morgan/Goldman Sachs had over 350 meetings between 2010-12 with federal agencies
Agencies were writing new banking restrictions as a response to the financial crisis

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21
Q

What street is famous for lobbying firms?

A

K-Street in Washington DC

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22
Q

How much was spent on federal lobbying in 2019?

A

$3.47bn

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23
Q

Why do medical companies lobby the government?

A

Aim to stop the government putting price controls on pharmaceutical products

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24
Q

What is revolving door syndrome?

A

Lobbying firms often want to hire people who have formerly worked in the federal government to take advantage of their connections

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25
Q

Example of a former lobbyist being hired by the government

A

Eugene Scalia, who had previously lobbied for companies such as Facebook, was hired as secretary of labor in 2019

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26
Q

How has the US government tried to limit lobbying?

A

Lobbying Disclosure Act 1995
Restricted ‘gifts’ from lobbyists to members of Congress

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27
Q

Which pressure group lobbies the most?

A

US Chamber of Commerce
Promotes business rights
Spent $77m in 2019

28
Q

Successes and failures of the US Chamber of Commerce

A

Success: Convinced Congress to pass US/Mexico/Canada trade agreement

Failure: Could not persuade the Trump administration to lift tariffs on China and EU

29
Q

Which pressure group funded Brown v Topeka?

A

NAACP

30
Q

What pressure group has regularly used legal challenges to improve abortion rights?

A

Planned Parenthood

31
Q

Which pressure group challenged Trump’s ban on allowing transgender people in the military in the 2017?

A

ACLU
Supreme Court upheld the law

32
Q

What are amicus curiae briefs?

A

Legal briefs given by pressure groups in Supreme Court cases which pressure groups hope will influence the judges

33
Q

How many amicus curiae briefs were submitted in Obergefell v Hodges?

A

149

34
Q

Why can amicus curiae briefs be elitist?

A

Only pressure groups with funds for lawyers can afford to submit them

35
Q

Methods of grassroots campaigning

A
  • Contacting members of Congress
  • Petitions
  • Advertising
36
Q

What was the 1963 March on Washington?

A

250,000 people attended a march outside Congress to campaign for civil rights

37
Q

How many members does the NRA have?

A

5 million

38
Q

Which moderate Republican did the NRA successfully campaign against in 2012?

A

Richard Lugar - received an F rating
Cost: $169,000

39
Q

How much did the NRA spend campaigning on behalf of Trump in 2020?

A

$16m

40
Q

Why do pressure groups tend to favour Senate campaigns over House campaigns?

A
  • Senators serve 6 year terms to this secures them long-term influence
  • The smaller number of Senators mean they individually carry more influence
41
Q

What percentage of the NRA budget in 2016 was spent on Senate races?

A

96%

42
Q

What is an iron triangle?

A

The relationship between the executive branch, Congress and pressure groups

43
Q

What is the military-industrial complex?

A

That defence firms such as Lockheed Martin successfully lobby the government to keep the defence budget high

44
Q

How much do Lockheed Martin spend a year lobbying?

A

$14m

45
Q

Which members of Congress do defence firms normally target?

A

Those who sit on the defence committee (e.g. Joe Courtney)

46
Q

Which members of Congress do pharmaceutical firms normally target?

A

Those who sit on the health committee (e.g. Anna Eshoo)

47
Q

Example of revolving door syndrome related to health

A

Trump appointed Scott Gottlieb as head of the FDA in 2017. When he stepped down, he went to work for Pfizer.

48
Q

What is hard money?

A

Direct donations to a political candidate

49
Q

What is soft money?

A

Given to a political party or PAC but not targeted towards a specific candidate

50
Q

Why is soft money more powerful than hard money?

A

There are no limits on soft money contributions

51
Q

What are independent expenditures?

A

When money is spent campaigning to elect a candidate, however, this is completely independent of the candidate themselves

52
Q

What are political action committees (PACs)?

A

Groups which make direct, hard money, contributions to candidates

53
Q

What is the cap for PAC donations?

A

$5,000 per year

54
Q

What are SuperPACs?

A

Groups which campaign using soft money/independent expenditures

55
Q

Citizens United v FEC (2010)

A

Court ruled that the first amendment right to free speech applies to corporations and pressure groups, allowing them to make unlimited political donations

56
Q

How much did SuperPACs spend in the 2020 election?

A

$1.8bn

57
Q

Are SuperPACs too influential? - YES

A
  • Means that rich groups have huge influence and can support candidates which support their goals
  • Members of Congress cannot fairly criticise big businesses in fear of losing their funding
  • Reduced the importance of political parties
58
Q

Which wealthy individual contributed over $100m to conservative SuperPACs in 2020?

A

Sheldon Adelson

59
Q

Are SuperPACs too influential? - NO

A
  • Free speech gives the freedom to political donation in a pluralist society
  • Large donations do not guarantee victory (Clinton received $129m more than Trump)
  • Candidates can have strong grassroots support instead of large SuperPAC donations (Sanders)
60
Q

How do US pressure groups have more access points than UK pressure groups?

A

While the UK has devolved regions, the US has both state and federal governments as well as more direct democracy

61
Q

What is the maximum amount UK pressure groups can spend on an election?

A

£319,000
In the US this is unlimited through the use of SuperPACs

62
Q

In which country are political advertisements banned on TV?

A

UK

63
Q

What are some structural differences between UK and US pressure groups?

A
  • More access points in the US
  • Unlimited election spending in the US
  • SCOTUS is very powerful so pressure groups target the courts more in the US
64
Q

What are some rational similarities/differences between UK and US pressure groups?

A
  • UK MPs are more likely to be loyal to their party than to a pressure group
  • Both Labour and the Democrats are funded by trade unions and therefore support greater workers rights
  • Direct action is used in both countries with international movements such as BLM
65
Q

What are some cultural similarities/differences between UK and US pressure groups?

A
  • Both see themselves as pluralist democracies
  • Both countries have been criticised for elitism
  • Direct action has caused major changes in both countries histories (Civil Rights Movement, Suffragettes)

Gov & Politics (23 decks)

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