Chapter 6 Interest Groups Interest groups exist to

Chapter 6 Interest Groups

Interest groups exist to make demands on the government and usually deal with ideological, public interest, foreign policy, government itself, as well as ethnic, religious, and racial issues and groups

Interest group- A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying. The American Medical Association and the United States Chamber of Commerce are examples of interest groups. Others Economic - Big Corporations (Mc. Donalds), Labor – AFL-CIO Public – Ralph Nader Foreign Policy , Public Sector – National Governor’s Association

Political parties and interest groups are different: a. Political parties aim to attain or maintain power, however interest groups do not have such an aim, instead they aim to influence decision making and the politicians. b. Second, parties blend various demands, not just support particular ones because they have to appeal to more people, however interest groups focus upon particular issues.

Interest groups reach out to the public for these reasons: 1. To supply information in support of the group’s interests 2. To build a positive image for the group 3. To promote a particular public policy

Because of the many different opinions and interests of Americans, interest groups are made in order to advocate for their special issue.

Interest group power can be affected by size, resources, cohesiveness, leadership, and techniques

pluralism-A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group. Using multiple factions to check the power of other factions is one example of pluralism.

Single-Issue Group - A group that is involved in political campaigning on one essential policy area or idea. An example of a Single-Issue Group is the Greedy 40% Extra group that protested against politician wage increase.

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Tactics of interest groups: 1. Control of information and expertise. Ex. Oil corporations know about oil business than anybody else. 2. Electoral activity: Especially for groups with large number of members to vote or raise money for certain candidates. 3. Use of economic power: M. Luther King managed to organize a boycott of the city bus system of Montgomery, Alabama. 4. Public information campaigns: using media to enlighten the masses about an issue. 5. Violence and disruption: Ex. separatist groups. 6. Litigation: Ex. to file court cases. Amicus Curiae brief

Litigation - civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. Litigation and lawsuits can be used interchangeably. Amicus curiae brief- Literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case. The Amicus Curiae brief is a way to reveal a individual group by presenting its arguments.

Some problems regarding interest groups: a. Not all interest groups are equally well organized. For instance, producer interests are always easier to organize than consumer interests. b. Some groups command a disproportionate voice in the interest group system because they have special advantages. Thus they sway politicians into their own interests at the expense of the whole country. c. Most interest groups are not organized democratically. The side benefits of joining any interest group are called selective incentives. Free rider problem: members try to get the benefits without contributing.

Free rider- An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.

Federal Register- An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies. Changes in the Federal Register for good for their respective interest groups is what interest groups want.

lobbyist- A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches. The lobbyist tries to gain attention and interest of political officers to vie for their interest groups.

LO 6. 4 Describe lobbyists and the activities through LO 6. 4 which they seek to influence policy. • • • Lobbyists: persons who are employed by an organized interest group or corporation and who try to influence policy decisions in the executive and legislative branches. The term “lobbying” was not generally used until around the mid-nineteenth century in the United States. Lobbyists help prepare legislation, testify before legislative hearings, and contribute a large share of the costs of campaigns. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Back to Learning Objectives

The Influence of Lobbyists LO 6. 4 Who Are the Lobbyists? Lobbyists are former public servants. Lobbyists are experienced in government. Lobbyists often go to work for one of the interests they dealt with while in government. • • • Back to Learning Objectives

LO 6. 4 The Influence of Lobbyists What Do Lobbyists Do? • • Many lobbyists participate in issue networks or relationships among interest groups, congressional committees, subcommittees, and government agencies that share a common policy concern. http: //www. cbsnews. com/video/watch/? id=7387331 n Back to Learning Objectives

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LO 6. 4 The Influence of Lobbyists What Do Lobbyists Do? (cont. ) Interest groups provide money for incumbents. Interest groups provide information of two important types. Interest groups sometimes attempt to influence legislators and regulators by going directly to the people and urging them to contact public officials. • • • Back to Learning Objectives

lobbying- Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact. Lobbyists are lobbying when they try to coerce government officials to support their cause.

Revolving door- Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups of businesses with the same policy concern. Members of government agencies that favor the topic go through the revolving door if they join an interest group dealing with the topic.

issue network- Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern. The issue network is a large interest group made up of smaller interest groups, if they share similar concerns.

political action committee (PAC)- The political aim of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties. PACS are very influential in the elections, as they are the primary funders for political candidates.

Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Interest groups seek to influence politics and public policy by spending money on elections in several ways (cont. ). Interest groups contribute money to other interest groups. Interest groups communicate to the members of their group, including employees. Interest groups spend money independently of the parties and candidates. • • • Back to Learning Objectives

Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Political Action Committees • Political Action Committee (PAC): the political arm of an interest group legally entitled to raise limited and disclosed funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees in order to contribute funds to favored Back to Learning Objectives

Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Political Action Committees (cont. ) • • Corporations Trade and health organizations Labor unions Ideological organizations Back to Learning Objectives

LO 6. 5 Money and Politics Political Action Committees (cont. ) • • More recently, elected officials have begun to form their own PACs called Leadership PACs. Leaderships PACs are formed by an officeholder who collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties. Back to Learning Objectives

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Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Political Action Committees (cont. ) PACs are important not only because they contribute such a large share of the money congressional candidates raise for their campaigns but also because they contribute so disproportionately to incumbents. • Back to Learning Objectives

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LO 6. 5 Money and Politics Political Action Committees (cont. ) • • • The law limits the amount of money that PACs, like individuals, can contribute to any single candidate in an election cycle. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) doubled individual contribution limits and mandated that they increase with inflation while leaving PAC contribution limits unchanged. http: //www. fec. gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits. shtml Back to Learning Objectives

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Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Other Modes of Electioneering • • Another way interest groups can influence the outcome of elections is by persuading their employees, members, or stockholders to vote in a way consistent with the interests of the group. Until the 2004 election cycle, interest groups and individuals could avoid the contribution limitation to political parties by contributing socalled soft money to political parties. Back to Learning Objectives

Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Other Modes of Electioneering (cont. ) Soft money is money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Issue Ads: Interest groups could also help fund so-called issue ads supporting or opposing candidates as long as the ads did not use certain words. • • Back to Learning Objectives

Money and Politics LO 6. 5 Independent Expenditures • The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an independent expenditure. Back to Learning Objectives

leadership PAC- A PAC formed by an office holder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties. Leadership PACS are like individual PACS, except that more committees are involved an office-held PAC serves as a middle man. bundling- A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from likeminded individuals (each limited to $2, 000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle, " thus increasing the PAC's influence. By one PAC collecting more money from its contributors by bundling, the political candidates can see more influence in the higher paying PAC.

Leading PAC Contributions 2012 Election http: //www. opensecrets. org/pacs/industry. ph p? txt=Q 03&cycle=2012

Iron Triangle - the policymaking relationship among the congressional committees, bureaucracies, and interest groups. The iron triangle is the main policymaking institution in American politics.

How Much Do Interest Groups Influence Elections and Legislation? • • LO 6. 6 Because PACs give more money to incumbents, challengers have difficulty funding their campaigns and have to rely more on individual contributors. Mass-membership organizations fail to mobilize their full membership in elections, although they can effectively mobilize when their interests are directly attacked. Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Longman Back to Learning Objectives

How Much Do Interest Groups Influence Elections and Legislation? • • • LO 6. 6 Only a fraction of any candidates funds come from a single group. It is debatable how much campaign contributions affect elections. There is no guarantee that money produces a payoff in legislation. Back to Learning Objectives

How Much Do Interest Groups Influence Elections and Legislation? LO 6. 6 Curing the Mischiefs of Faction: • • • Regulating lobbying Regulating political money Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, the definition of a lobbyist was expanded to include part-time lobbyists, those who deal with congressional staff or executive branch agencies, and those who represent foreign-owned companies and foreign entities. Back to Learning Objectives

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