Interest Groups in Action Activities of Interest Groups
- Slides: 24
Interest Groups in Action
Activities of Interest Groups n Interest groups attempt to influence policy by supplying public officials with things they want
Activities of Interest Groups Credible information n Public support n Money n “Trouble” n
Credible Information n Includes policy info to allow a legislator to take a position on an issue or technical info needed to implement a policy
Credible Information n Interest group is most powerful when the issue is narrow & technical & there are no competing interest groups to supply competing info
Credible Information Supplying info may involve political cues n Allows a public official to line up on the liberal or conservative side of the issue n
Public Support Grassroots mobilization is a tactic chosen by an increasing number of interest groups n Environmental interest groups have successfully mobilized support for & against legislators with the “Dirty Dozen” campaign n
Money Interest groups can establish PACs to finance political campaigns n Lobby Congress to reduce or increase appropriations for gov. agencies & provide jobs former gov officials (revolving door) n
Money To obtain money beyond member dues, interest groups have turned to: n Foundation grants n Federal grants & contracts n Direct mail solicitation n
“Trouble” Tactics such as protest marches, sit-ins, picketing, & violence have always been part of politics n Used by both left & right n
Purpose of “Trouble” Disrupt the workings of some institutions to force it to negotiate with you Enlist the support of third parties (media) Provoke attacks & arrests are made so that martyrs are created
Regulating Interest Groups Many policies have been enacted to regulate interest groups n All must deal with the fact that interest group activity is a form of political speech protected by the First Amendment n
Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 Register with the secretary of the Senate & clerk of the House of Rep. n File quarterly financial reports n
Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 Supreme Ct. upheld the law n Limited its impact to groups whose “principal purpose” is to influence legislation n Both the law & Supreme Ct. ruling left significant loopholes for interest groups to exploit n
Regulating Interest Groups In 1995 Congress passed tighter regulatory legislation n New law broadened the definition of lobbyist n
Interest Group Regulation: 1995 Law Require more advocates to register with the House & Senate n Require lobbyists to require more info about clients n
Regulating Interest Groups: 1995 Law Lobbyists must now register if they spend at least 20% of their time lobbying and/or paid $5, 000 or more for lobbying in any 6 month period n Corps & groups must register if they spend more than $20, 000 in any 6 month period on their lobbying staff n
1995 Law Lobbyists must submit biannual reports that list: n Names of their clients n Income and expenditures n Issues on which they worked n
1995 Law Although the law did not establish a new enforcement agency, violations may be referred to the Justice Dept for investigation n Fines for breaking the laws could amount to $50, 000 n
1995 Law Barred those tax-exempt nonprofit groups currently receiving federal funds from lobbying n Most effective restraints on interest group activity may result from tax code (threatens to revoke group’s tax-exempt status if it engages in lobbying) n
1995 Law Spending limits can be circumvented by bundling n Bundling occurs when a PAC solicits funds for a candidate & a donor writes the check for the candidate n All of these checks are delivered as a “bundle” n
1995 Law Federal campaign records reflect a series of individual donations & the PAC’s role is not evident n Bundling has become one of the most common PAC practices & has been used with considerable success n
Regulating Interest Groups An outstanding practitioner of bundling is EMILY’s List n PAC that supports pro-choice, Democratic women candidates n
Regulating Interest Groups n Even the best regulations may be ineffective barriers against the power of interest groups & PACs
- Operating activities vs investing activities
- Indoor outdoor sports
- Primary and support activities
- Primary activities and tertiary activities
- Mbti team building workshops
- Existential group therapy activities
- Loosely organized groups who share interests and activities
- The activities that independent individuals groups
- How are ethnic groups and religious groups related
- Interest groups free rider problem
- The nature of interest groups
- Chapter 9 section 3 interest groups at work
- A virtue of interest groups is that
- Interest groups linkage institutions
- Proliferation of interest groups
- State two characteristics of interest groups
- Interest groups vs social movements
- Chapter 9 section 2 types of interest groups
- Linkage institutions definition
- Linkage institutions
- Federalist 10 interest groups
- What are interest groups
- Fundamental goal of interest groups
- Real vs nominal interest rate
- Nominal rate