US Pressure Groups Flashcards
Political Pluralism:
a political philosophy that emphasises the benefits of groups influencing the decision making process
Which amendment allows pressure groups to exist?
1st Amendment gives pressure groups their constitutional rights to exist
Why are pressure groups good for pluralism?
they allow for an alternative form of political participation
what is an insider group?
-a pressure group that has close ties with the government or the 2 main political parties
-they are typically well funded and spend heavily on lobbying and election campaigns
Examples of an insider groups in the US?
-the American Medical Association
-the US Chamber of Commerce
-NRA
What are outsider groups?
pressure groups who do not have links to political establishments so create influence through public pressure
Example of an outsider group in the US:
Climate Direct Action- 2016, turned off the valves on 15% of crude oil imports for nearly a day
What are promotional groups?
pressure groups that promote a course they believe will benefit society and not driven by altruism
Examples of promotion groups in the US:
-Greenpeace USA
-The American Civil Liberties Union
What are interest groups?
pressure groups that exist to defend and advance the interest of its members
Examples of interest groups in the US:
-the American Bar Association
-the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People
What is the difference between a pressure groups and a social movement?
-PGs are structured organisations with a hierarchy and formal membership
-social movements are less formal and structured
Examples of social movements:
-Women’s and Civil Rights Movements
-MeToo and BLM
How much did the League of Conservative voters spend on electoral campaigning in 2018?
$85 million - nearly 60 of their congressional candidates were elected
Example of a pressure group that allocates a voting score card:
NRA- allocates a rating A to F based on voting on gun rights
League of Conservative Voters- releases a Dirty Dozens List of the politicians with the worth in environmental records + 5/12 candidates on the list were defeated in 2020
What is the aim of EMILY’s List?
-wants to promote change by getting ‘pro-choice’ women to run for office
-they recruit candidates and support their campaign
Example of EMILY’s list endorsing a candidate?
-Hilary Clinton 2016
-2020, EMILY’s List spent $5.5 million on digital advertising for Kamala Harris
Under which Amendment is lobbying protected?
under the 1st Amendment
Example of a pressure group using insider contacts?
-J.P Morgan and Goldman Sachs had over 350 meetings with federal agencies 2010-12
-congress was writing regulations for the banking sector in response to the financial crash
How much was spent on federal lobbying in 2019?
$3.47 billion
When was the highest lobbing year on record?
2010, $3.51 billion spent, mainly from healthcare complies trying to influence Obama’s Affordable Care Act
Example of an individual from the revolving door?
-Eugene Scalia
-Secretary of Labour in 2019
-had first worked for the Bush administration and then lobbies on behalf of the US Chamber of Commerce (Facebook ad Goldman Sachs)
Legislation passed by Congress to regulate lobbying:
-Lobby Disclosure Act (1995)
-Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007): states that lobbying must be dislocated and a regulation of ‘gifts’
Example of lobbying being ineffective:
US Chamber of Commerce spend $77 million on lobbying in 2019
-didn’t convince Trump to reverse tariffs on goods from China and the EU despite it having a negative impact on business
How many lobbyists did Trump have in Government?
-281
-4 times more than Obama
Who did the Washington Post libel the most powerful lobbyists in Trump’s Washington?
Ballad Partners -when Trump became President they gained 200 clients in less than 2yrs
Examples of pressure groups achieving their aims through legal challenges:
-NAACP funded Brown v Topek (1954): court found the separate but equal clause was unconstitutional
-the ACLU brought the case Obergefell v Hodges (2015): the court ruling legalised same sex marriage across the US
Example of pressure groups holding the executive to account by challenging its action in the courts:
-ACLU mounted 56 legal challenges against Trump 2017-18
what are Amicus Curiea briefs?
-set out specific evidence or research that PG hope will influence judges
-Amicus Curiea briefs from PGs are called green briefs
How many Amicus Curiea briefs did the Supreme Court receive in the 1950s compared to 2019?
-1950’s on average one a year
-in 2019 an average of 16 briefs were submitted to cases
How many Amicus Curiea briefs were submitted for Obergefell v Hodges (2015)?
148
What percentage of briefs were mentioned by justices 2019-20?
10%
Example of justice quoting an amicus brief:
-in the American Legion v American Humanists Association (2019)
-Justice Bader Ginsburg quoted from a brief by Jewish war veterans to support her dissent
Argument that the use of Amicus Curiea briefs is elitist:
-more likely to be cited by a justice if written by a legal expert
-writing a brief is expensive
Argument that direct action is effective:
-it generates publicity
Argument that direct action is not effective:
-BLM: outbreaks of violence during the protests alienated public opinion + Trump threaten to send the military to the riots
-failed mob insurrection of the Capitol in January 2021 was indeed to prevent congress from certifying the 2020 electoral college results
Example of a pressure group holding the funding a candidates election campaign:
-2018, pro-life Democrat Dan Lipinski received funding from the pro-life group the SBA list
-they spent $100,000 on his primary race
Why are the NRA so influential?
-5 million members
-Republican candidates received 98% of their funding from the NRA in their 2016 congressional campaign
Evidence of incumbency advantage in the USA:
-pressure groups tent to support Washington insiders + reinforces incumbency advantage
-90% of members of congress are typically returned
What are Iron Triangles?
a relationship between an interest groups, congress and the executive
What role do interest groups have in iron triangles?
-influence congress through donations
-can use their influence over congress to put pressure on the executive
What role does congress have in Iron Triangles?
-funds executive departments
-congress may influence interest groups by passing legislation that affects them
What role does the executive have in Iron Triangles?
-creates the restrictions that interest groups must follow
-the executive influences congress by setting the policy agenda
Why is the defence iron triangle so strong?
the defence industry is dominated by a few companies with operation in different states
How much does Lockhead Martin spend a year on professional lobbyists?
$14 million
Evidence of the revolving door in the military industrial complex:
Patrick Shahan, acting defence secretary 2019 - previously Boeings senior VP
he oversaw 20 contracts for Boeing worth $13.7 billion
Argument that pressure groups are more powerful than political parties:
-iron triangles allow influential interest groups and corporation to influence the executive and congress
-lobbyists and campaign donations allow PGs to influence the executive and congress
-the revolving door means that PGs maintain a close relationship with congress and the executive
Argument the political parties are more powerful than pressure groups:
-formulate policy for all areas of government - not just a specific sector
-they select and support electoral candidates for congress and the presidency
-Wilded legislative power in congress
-can determine federal government policy when their party holds the presidency
What are PACs (Political Action Committees)?
-they raise money for the direct purpose of electing of defeating candidates or for political campaigns for legislation
-make hard money contributions
-limited to $5000 donations a year
What is a Super PAC?
-a PAC that only deals with independent expenditure
-can raise and spend unlimited money for political campaigns
What court ruling allows for Super PACs to make unlimited donations?
Citizens United v Federal Election Committee (2010)
How much did Super PACs spend on Hillary Clintons presidential campaign compare to Trumps?
Clinton - $215 million
Trump - $82.5 million
Argument that Super PACs have too much influence in US elections:
-right to spend an unlimited amount through Super PACs allows for PG to bypass campaign finance restrictions
-PACs and Super PACs are funded by less than 1% of Americans
-wealth individuals can make huge donations (Sheldon Anderson and his wife donated over $100 million to Super PACs in 2020)
-legislatures may vote in the interstate of their financial backers
Argument that Super PACs do NOT have too much influence in US elections:
-the US being a pluralist society means that PGs should be able to fully participate in campaigns
-large donations don’t guarantee victory (Clinton v Trump)
-the public holds members of congress to account during elections
in 2020 what percentage of Americans supported a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United?
75%
Argument that pressure groups are too powerful:
-PGs are elitist (well funded groups have greater influence and can afford professional lobbyists)
-revolving door gives interest groups and lobbying firms excessive influence
-Iron Triangles can lead to congress and the executive making decisions that benefit interest groups
-submitting of Amicus Curiea briefs favoured by wealthy interest groups
-PGs election campaigning reinforces incumbency
-PGs undermined the role of political parties
Argument that pressure groups are NOT too powerful:
-PGs are essential to a pluralists society
-social movements are cheap and effective
-the right to lobby is protected under the 1st Amendment and is regulated
-access doesn’t guarantee influence
-legislatures are accountable to votes
-PGs provide information like voting cards
-PGs support the party that best reflects their interests (contributes to the system of ‘big tent’ parties)
