US pressure groups Flashcards
What are the aims of pressure groups and how do they contribute to democracy?
-they seek to influence policy and decision making
-contribute by encouraging participation, hold govts accountable, creates pluralism
How do pressure groups contribute to pluralism?
-induce politicians to take account of a broad range of ideas i.e professional lobbying firms concentrated on K street in DC and get involved in policy-making–} PhRMA lobbied to ensure that the ACA did not impose strict price controls on prescription drugs in the making of ACA 2010
-competition between pressure groups is healthy + results in best policy decisions i.e Americans United for Life campaigns against abortion as opposed to pro-choice Emily’s List
-many of the most significant developments in US history happened with the help of pressure groups i.e NAACP in Brown v Topeka, ACLU in Obergefell v Hodges
Arguments for how pressure groups contribute to elitism
-wealthy pressure groups spend heavily on adverts and lobbying i.e US chamber of commerce spent more than 70 million in lobbying efforts in 2022
-corporations are more likely to have direct access to lawmakers via ‘revolving door syndrome’ i.e lawyer Eugene Scalia served as the Department of Labor’s Solicitor under Bush and later became a partner at a law firm
(Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher) where he represented corporations and business interests before rejoining govt as Secretary of Labor under Trump
-well funded pressure groups can be involved in elections through SuperPACs i.e NRA’s highest spending occured in 2016 election with 54.4 million–} therefore have been successful in resisting gun control laws despite 60% of Americans supporting more restrictive gun laws in 2020
Explain what insider groups are and provide examples
-Insider groups have close ties to the govt or main political parties
-i.e American medical association–} AMPAC spent over 2 million in 2022 midterms, successfully lobbied for tighter restrictions on tobacco use(FDA raised smoking age to 21 in 2019)
-US chamber of commerce –} lobbying efforts contributed to the passing of the tax cuts and jobs act 2017(reduced the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%)
-National Rifle Association–} Bill Clinton stated after the 1994 midterms that “The NRA is the reason the Republicans control the House”, helped organise a filibuster in 2013 after Sandy Hook shooting that blocked a bill expanding background checks to cover private gun sales even though polls showed that 90% of Americans supported it
Explain what outsider groups are and provide examples
-attempt to influence politicians by generating public pressure via marches, direct action etc
-i.e Climate Direct Action ran ‘valve turner’ protests in 2016 where members turned off the valves on 15% of crude oil imports for nearly a day(several members were convicted)
-Occupy wall street–} series of protest movements in 2011 against economic inequality + handling of 2008 financial crash, protests happened in over 900 cities worldwide
-BLM–} over 7,000 marches in 2020 in all 50 states, George Floyd justice in policing bill(banning the use of chokeholds but wasn’t passed)
Explain what causal/promotional groups are and provide examples
-promote a particular cause they believe will benefit society, less out of self-interest
-Greenpeace USA–} projected messages on capitol building i.e “Biden’s Choice: People or Plastic?” in Aug 2024 in support of global plastics treaty, direct action such as members climbing oil rigs in 2015 led to Shell leaving the arctic and stop drilling
-Everytown for Gun safety–} heavily involved in the passing of ballot initiative in Washington that closed loop holes for gun background checks
-ACLU–} filed amicus curiae brief that actively supported legalising gay marriage in Obergefell v Hodges(2015)
Explain what sectional/interest groups are and provide examples
-campaign for the interests of members of that group
-i.e AFL-CIO–} focused on improving pay + conditions for workers, successfully lobbied for enhanced unemployment benefits in the American Rescue Plan 2021
-NAACP–} funded Brown v Topeka
-American bar association–} professional organisation representing lawyers, heavily supported the passing of the Fair Chance Act 2019(limits employers from asking about criminal backgrounds during initial hiring stages)
Social movements
-much less formalised than pressure groups but play an important role in politics
-increased due to the use of social media–} MeToo movement, youth climate movement
Pressure group methods: Electoral campaigning
-can endorse candidates via releasing voting ‘scorecards’ i.e NRA allocates each candidate a grade from A to F based on voting record for gun rights–} 94% Republicans got A grade in the 2020 election
-can make campaign donations i.e League of Conservative voters spent 85 million on electoral campaigning(more than any other single-issue group) in 2018–} 60 of their new congressional candidates elected and Dems won back HOR
Electoral campaigning: EMILY’S LIST
-aims to get pro-choice Democratic women elected to office
-spent 37 million in the 2018 midterms leading to record numbers of female congresswomen
-spent 5.5 million on digital advertising for Kamala Harris(elected as VP) and endorsed her as a presidential candidate in 2024
Pressure group methods: Lobbying
