The Politics of Democracy

1. The Politics of Democracy Interest Groups

2. Democracy in America Americans have a tendency to form “associations” and have perfected “the art of pursuing in common the object of their common desires.” “In no country in the world has the principle of association been more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objectives than in America.” - Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville (1835)

3. Interest Group An organization of people who share common objectives and who actively attempt to influence government policymakers through direct and indirect methods.

4. Purposes of Interest Groups Help bridge the gap between citizens and government and enable citizens to explain their views on policies to public officials Help raise public awareness and inspire action on various issues Give specialized and detailed information to public officials that might be difficult to obtain otherwise and may be useful in making public policy choices Serves as a check on public officials to make sure that they are carrying out their duties responsibly *Interest groups often concentrate on preventing legislation rather than promoting it

5. Interest Groups vs. Political Parties Interest groups are policy specialists, political parties are generalists. PPs are broad-based organizations that must attract the support of many opposing groups and consider a large number of issues. IGs focus on only a handful of key policies Interest groups are more tightly organized than PPs and often financed through contributions or dues-paying memberships & communicate through conferences, mailings, newsletters, e-mail, etc. A Political party’s main sphere of influence is the electoral system. Parties run candidates for office. Interest groups try to influence the outcome of elections but do not complete for public office. Candidates may sympathize with the issue or even be a member of an interest group, they do not run as a candidate of that group

6. Types of Interest Groups Business Labor Agricultural Groups Consumer Groups Older Americans Environmental Groups Professional Groups Women’s Groups Church-Related Organizations Ethnic Organizations

7. Business Organizations • Business Organizations: • National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): more than 200,000 members • Trade Organizations: tend to support policies which favor business in general

8. Labor Organizations American Federation of Labor (AFL) 1886, now AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations) nearly 90 unions representing more than 13 million workers Other non AFL-CIO Unions: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Mine Workers, International Longshoremen’s Union, Warehousemen’s Union American unions press for policies to improve working conditions and pay for their members, but also may have issues they compete with or oppose each other Organized labor represents about 15% of the labor force Power and strength have decreased since the early 1900s, but they still have powerful lobbying power

9. Agricultural • Many groups work or general agricultural interests at all levels of government • American Farm Bureau Federation • The National Grange • The National Farmer’s Union

10. Consumer Groups • Consumers Union (Consumer Reports Magazine) • Strongly criticizes government agencies when they act against consumer interests • National Consumer Coalition • Promotes consumer choice in areas like housing, transportation, health & safety, telecommunications, poor housing, discrimination

11. Older Americans AARP American Association of Retired People The Gray Panthers

12. Environmental Groups National Wildlife Federation Sierra Club National Audubon Society Nature Conservancy

13. Professional Groups American Medical Association American Bar Association National Education Association American Federation of Teachers Screen Actors Guild National Association of Social Workers American Political Science Association

14. Women’s Groups • National Organization for Women (NOW)

15. Church-Related Organizations • National Council of Church • Has spoken out on civil rights, human rights, and other social issues

16. Ethnic Organizations • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) • Works for the improvement in political, social, and economic status of African-Americans • Mexican American Legal Defense and Education fund • League of United Latin American Citizens • Organization of Chinese Americans • The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium

17. Interest Groups Some are very small, while some have millions of members Some are private interest groups (the most common) while others are public interest groups

18. How Groups Try to Shape Policy • Lobbying: attempting to pass or defeat proposed legislation • Methods: • Personal contact with key legislators • Providing expertise to legislators or other governmental officials • Offering “expert” testimony before congressional committees • Assisting legislators in drafting legislation • Following up

19. Election Support Provide campaign support for those who favor their policies Urge their members to vote for the candidates that support the views of the group Can threaten the withdrawal of their votes

20. Political Action Committees (PACs) Interest groups often provide money to campaigns through political action committees which are groups organized to collect money and provide financial support for political candidates. They funnel money through PACs to candidates whom they think will benefit them the most They make the contributions to ensure they will have access to the public officials they have helped to elect

21. Indirect Techniques • Interest Groups also try to influence public policy through third parties or the general public • Shaping Public Opinion • Mobilizing Constituents • Bringing Lawsuits • Influencing Judicial Appointments • Staging Demonstrations

22. Why do Interest Groups Get Bad Press?

23. Regulation of Interest Groups • 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act: • There are some requirements interest groups must adhere to, such as… • registering $$$ used to influence legislation • identify their employers, salary, amount & purpose of expenses, duration of employment, • give quarterly reports on his or her activities, can face a $10,000 fine or imprisonment if they do not comply with the act • Overall the act is weak and applies only to direct lobbyists

24. Interest Groups Overall, there are many different types of interest groups, with many different concerns and numbers to influence legislators and public policy

25. : Assignment: Create your own interest group Name your interest group Identify the main concern of your interest group (i.e. environment, consumer, etc.) Identify 3 goals that your interest group is trying to accomplish Identify 3 specific ways that your interest group will attempt to accomplish those goals (refer to chapter 9 for help)