Interest Groups

1. InterestGroups Chapter 11 Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy Fourteenth Edition

2. INTEREST GROUPS SEEK TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY. U.S. HAS MANY INTEREST GROUPS BECAUSE 1-GREAT NUMBER OF SOCIAL CLEAVAGES 2-FEDERALISM ( 3 layers of gov’t) 3-SEPERATION OF POWERS (3 branches) 4-THE DECLINE OF POLITICAL PARTIES

3. Roots of Interest Groups • First national groups emerge in 1830s. • Business interests play larger role after Civil War. • Progressive era leads to an explosion of groups. • Growth of labor and trade associations.

4. The Interest Group State • Civil rights groups in 1960s. • Conservative and religious groups.(70-80s) • New business groups dedicated to lobbying. (90-Now) • Declining power of organized labor (70s-Now)

9. THERE ARE MORE INTEREST GROUPS

10. AND THEY ARE DONATING MORE MONEY

13. The Role of Interest Groups Interest group: An organization of people with shared policy views. Interest groups are distinct from parties 1-Do not field candidates for office 2-Are policy specialists (1 or 2 issues)

15. INTEREST GROUPS INTEREST GROUPS IN ACTION INTEREST GROUPS ARE REGULATED BY THE GOV’T MUST REGISTER WITH CONGRESS MUST FILE FINANCIAL REPORTS CAN LOSE TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

16. Theories of Interest Group Politics: Hyperpluralism Can control what government does Part of Subgovernment Iron Triangles Issue Networks I.G.s have become too powerful

20. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? Potential group Actual group Collective good offered

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22. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? Intensity Dislike compromise Focus often on emotions Non-conventional means (Protest)

23. Financial Resources Wealthier groups have… more resources more access— to leaders but they do not always win

24. INTEREST GROUP MEMBERS TYPICALLY HIGH-STATUS WEALTHY EDUCATED CAN HAVE FREE TIME

25. Free-Rider Problem Get benefits without joining Large groups are difficult to organize Olson’s law of large groups “The larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good.”

27. Small groups are better organized and more focused on the group’s goals. Multinational corporations are successful because there are few of them and have resources Consumer groups hard to organized because benefit is spread over the entire population. Public interest groups seek “a collective good”

28. How Groups Try to Shape Policy Lobbying Electioneering Litigation Going Public

29. Lobbying • Target Congress through research, money, or testimony. • Also target bureaucratic agencies and the president. • Lobby courts through sponsorship or amicus briefs. • Can use grassroots techniques, such as petitions. • May also resort to protests and activism.

30. Litigation Taking an issue to court an option Interest groups can file amicus curiaebriefs to influence a court’s decision.

31. Electioneering Helping candidates get elected Political Action Committee (PAC) Donate money to candidates. Most PAC money goes to incumbents.

32. Going Public Interest groups try to... • Cultivate a good public image • Build public goodwill • Use marketing strategies • Advertise to motivate & inform public

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34. Election Activities • Recruiting and endorsing candidates. • Organizing get out the vote efforts. • Rating candidates and office holders. • Donating financial resources

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38. Theories of Interest Group Politics: Elitism

39. Theories of Interest Group Politics • Pluralist Theory Politics s competition among groups • Elite Theory Societies are divided along class lines Upper-class elite rules • Hyperpluralist Theory Groups are too strong Government is weakened / paralyzed

40. Understanding Interest Groups Interest Groups & the Scope of Govern’t Interest groups seek to maintain policies and programs that benefit them. Interest groups continue to pressure government to do more things. As the government does more, this causes the formation of more groups

41. Summary Group theories: pluralism, elitism, and hyperpluralism A number of factors influence a group’s success. ( i.e. amount of resources) Interest groups affect policy process through lobbying, electioneering, litigation, and going public.

43. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSOBJECTIVES 1-EXPLAIN WHY THE CHARACTERISTICS OF AMERICAN SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGE A MULTIPLICITY OF INTEREST GROUPS. 2-INDICATE THE HISTORICAL CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH INTEREST GROUPS ARE LIKELY TO FORM.

44. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSOBJECTIVES 3-DO THE SENTIMENTS OF INTEREST GROUP MEMBERS DETERMINE THE ACTIONS OF INTEREST GROUP LEADERS? 4-DESCRIBE THE METHODS THAT INTEREST GROUPS USE TO CARRY OUT THEIR OBJECTIVES. MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE LOBBYING TECHNIQUES AND THE USE OF COURTS. 5-LIST THE LAWS REGULATING CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND DESCRIBE THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED WITH REVOLVING DOOR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT.

45. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSIMPORTANT TERMS CLIENT POLITICS CUE (POLITICAL) “DIRTY DOZEN” FEDERAL REGULATION OF LOBBYING ACT OF 1946 GRASSROOTS SUPPORT IDEOLOGICAL INTEREST GROUPS INCENTIVE (POILITICAL) INSTITUTIONAL INTERESTS

46. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSIMPORTANT TERMS INTEREST GROUP LOBBIST MATERIAL BENEFIT INCENTIVES MEMBERSHIP INTERESTS P.A.C.S P.I.R.G.S

47. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSIMPORTANT TERMS PUBLIC-INTEREST GROUP PURPOSIVE INCENTIVE RATING REVOLVING-DOOR INFLUENCE SOCIAL MOVEMENT SOLIDARY INCENTIVE

48. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSQUESTIONS 1-WHY HAVE INTEREST GROUPS GROWN STRONGER AS POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE GROWN WEAKER? 2-WHICH HAVE BEEN MORE IMPORTANT IN THE FORMATION OF INTEREST GROUPS: CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF THE UNITED STATES OR CHANGES IN PEOPLE’S IDEAS AND BELIEFS? 3-THEODORE LOWI PRESENTED THE THEORY THAT PUBLIC POLICY IS FORMULATED BY BUREAUCRATS IN CONJUCTION WITH INTEREST GROUPS. DO YOU AGREE?

49. AP CHAPTER 11 - INTEREST GROUPSQUESTIONS 4-WHICH INCENTIVE -MATERIAL, PURPOSIVE, SOLIDARY - IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN JOINING AN INTEREST GROUP? 5-PACs HAVE BEEN CALLED COLLECTION AGENCIES FOR INTEREST GROUPS. THEY WERE CREATED TO EVADE LAWS THAT FORBID CORPORATIONS AND LABOR UNIONS FROM GIVING MONEY “DIRECTLY” TO FEDERAL CANDIDATES. WHY DOES CONGRESS PERMIT THE LAW TO BE TRAMPLED BY ALLOWING PACs? DO PACs THREATEN THE CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER?