AmNG Lecture 17

1. AmNG Lecture 17

2. Today’s Concepts • Interest Groups • Pluralism & Hyper-Pluralism • Business Interest Group • Public Interest Group • Lobbyist • Political Action Committee (PAC)

3. Interest Groups • Interest Groups:Organizations based on shared concerns that attempt to influence society and policy makers to support their agenda. • Ex: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Rifle Association (NRA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). • Pluralism:A healthy interaction between government and interest groups where citizens pool their political influence to steer the political agenda. • Man citizens who are concerned about gun control laws join, get involved in, and give money to the National Rifle Association. • Hyper-Pluralism: An unhealthy situation where policy makers become more concerned with the well being of wealthy donors than the voters. • In some state legislatures the policy makers are much more concerned with the wishes of power and wealthy interest groups than they are of the well being of their constituents.

4. Types of Interest Groups • Business/Commercial Interests • Public Interests • Mixed Interests

5. Business/Commercial Interests Business Interest Group: An interest group who’s primary aim is profit. Ex: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is concerned with getting favorable policy’s and regulations in the real estate market so that members can make more money. • Typically more concerned with helping business owners and less concerned with employees. Peak Associations • -US Chamber of Commerce Trade Associations • -American Petroleum Institute • -American Medical Association

6. Public Interest Groups Public Interest Group: Interest group whose primary aim is for the good of the public and not-for-profit goals. Ex: The NRA seeks to protect 2nd Amendment Rights for all Americans. • NRA • Greenpeace • Sierra Club • MADD • Public Citizen’s

7. Mixed Interest Groups Mixed Interest Group: A group whose aims are both the financial well being of members, as well as other social issues such as workers safety or other political issues. Ex: The Teamsters Union seeks to improve the salaries and benefits of workers in the shipping business, as well as the working conditions and regulations that effect those workers. • Farm Bureau • Labor Unions -AFL-CIO -Teamsters -United Auto-workers -Teachers Unions

8. Money and Politics • In Arizona, candidates who are running for statewide office can only spend government funds. • Everyone gets the same amount of funds. • Candidates are prohibited from spending their own money or collecting campaign donations. • What are the disadvantages of this type of system? • What are the advantages of this type of system? • Do you think Oklahoma could benefit from such programs? • What about term limits? • Should legislators get paid well for their jobs?

9. Looking at Lobbyists • What is a Lobbyist? • Lobbyist: is someone who seeks to “educate” policy makers to persuade them to adopt policy's that are beneficial to a respective interest group. • The NRA and MADD both spend millions to hire lobbyists to make sure policy-makers are voting the correct way. • How to Lobby • Direct Approach/Rifle Approach: Targeting powerful policy makers with a lot of influence. • Indirect Approach/Shotgun Approach: Send army’s of concerned citizens to canvas the entire legislature or congress. • Campaign Contributions: Usually, the only real leverage that a lobbyist has is the ability to control vast sums money to finance a candidates reelection efforts. • Soft Money:This is money given above and beyond campaign contribution limits that is given to political parties and advocacy groups with the purpose of indirectly campaigning for a candidate.

10. Let’s Talk About PAC’s • Running for President costs Hundreds of $Millions and running for congress can cost more than $1 Million. • Where does that money come from? • Interest groups are prohibited from giving money to candidates directly, they have to start a Political Action Committeeto give campaign contributions. • Political Action Committee (PAC): is a separate entity that is connected to an interest group with the sole purpose of contributing to political campaigns. • Ex: The NRA has the NRAPAC which is a separate entity that gives out $Millions every election cycle to pro-gun candidates. • Government mandates the establishment of PAC’s so that political finances are completely open to the government inspection, while preserving an Interest Groups 4th Amendment protections.

11. Today’s Concepts • Interest Groups:Organizations based on shared concerns that attempt to influence society and policy makers to support their agenda. • Pluralism:A healthy interaction between government and interest groups where citizens pool their political influence to steer the political agenda. • Hyper-Pluralism: An unhealthy situation where policy makers become more concerned with the well being of wealthy donors than the voters. • Business Interest Group: An interest group who’s primary aim is profit. • Public Interest Group: Interest group whose primary aim is for the good of the public and not-for-profit goals. • Lobbyist: is someone who seeks to “educate” policy makers to persuade them to adopt policy's that are beneficial to a respective interest group. • Political Action Committee (PAC): is a separate entity that is connected to an interest group with the sole purpose of contributing to political campaigns.