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AP GOVERNMENT

AP GOVERNMENT. INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 9 Ms Windows. What is an Interest Group?. A group of individuals with common interests and seek to influence the government in some way (“Special Interests”) Issue Advocacy James Madison called them “factions”. How does an Interest Group begin?.

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AP GOVERNMENT

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  1. AP GOVERNMENT INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 9 Ms Windows

  2. What is an Interest Group? • A group of individuals with common interests and seek to influence the government in some way (“Special Interests”) • Issue Advocacy • James Madison called them “factions”

  3. How does an Interest Group begin? • USUALLY an interest group begins as a movement • Examples-abolitionists, civil rights, women’s rights, animal rights, etc. • Movements start b/c people want their voices heard by _______________ ?

  4. Types of Interest Groups • Economic (including Prof Assoc) • Ideological • Single Issue • Public Interest • Foreign Policy • Government Itself Not all interest groups are mutually exclusive-some overlap into different types

  5. 1. Economic Interest Groups • Businesses-large corporations (one person to large conglomerates) • McD’s, Coke, AT&T, Microsoft, Amazon • Trade & Other Associations -businesses with similar interest join together. • Chambers of Commerce

  6. Workers associations or Labor unions • Represent workers’ interests • Membership is low in the US compared to other industrialized countries • Although entire work force increases, membership has decreased in last 60 years. WHY? • ALF-CIO has many unions, IBEW

  7. Open Shop -membership in union is not required as a condition of employment • Closed Shop -must join a union to work • Either case, union negotiates for the workers • FreeRiders -get what is negotiated for but do not join union

  8. Right to Work States (Open Shop)

  9. Professional Associations-Professionals form of a union. • Can be national or state • American Bar Association, National Education Association, AMA

  10. 2. GOVERNMENT Interest Groups • Government employees want to be organized and heard • National Governors Association, National Conference of Mayors, National Education Association • Try to get federal grants!

  11. 3. IDEOLOGICAL IGs • Ideological-specific political views or set of issues • MARXISTS, SOCIALISTS • Civil Liberties, environment, nuclear disarmament • ACLU, Christian Coalition

  12. 4. Single Issue IGs • Single Issue (more specific) • Very adamant about position (right or left) and unwilling to compromise • NRA (2nd Amend), Abortion --Emily’s List (PAC) v. Right to Life

  13. 5. PUBLIC Interest Groups • “for the public interest” • Common Cause -to reform the electoral process • Ralph Nader-PIRGs promote environmental issues, safe energy, consumer protection, good gov’t

  14. Certain types of public interest groups are tax-exempt • Girl Scouts, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society • Benefits-donations tax-deductible, donors can remain anonymous • Cannot support candidates or elections but can do what? • Voter registration drives and issue ads

  15. FOREIGN POLICY Interest Groups • To promote or oppose certain foreign policies • Council on Foreign Relations, American-Israel Political Action Committee, National Association of Arab Americans • What would NAAA lobby for now?

  16. CHARACTERISTICS of Interest Groups 1. Size and Resources -the more, the better! • Motivations to join-incentives (material or otherwise) • What is the membership “spread”? Are the members concentrated in one area or dispersed?

  17. 2. COHESIVENESS -How is the membership organized? • Small # of leaders who have formal positions (full or part-time); OR • People involved in the group do all the leg work; OR • People are members in name only (no participation)

  18. How is the organization structured? • Strong, formal organization • Local groups that join together to form national group

  19. 3. Leadership -Strong or Weak? 4. Techniques -Methods they use to influence people and government • Publicity/Mass Media Appeal • Mass Mailing • Influence Rule Making • Litigation--USING THE COURT SYSTEM! • Election Activities • Forming Political Parties • Lobbying • Cooperative Lobbying (power in #s)

  20. TYPES OF INCENTIVES • Solidary incentives – sense of pleasure, status, or companionship (PTA, NAACP) • Material incentives – money, services, things valued in monetary terms (AARP) • Purposive incentives – the appeal of the group’s goals (ideological, public-interest)

  21. What are Lobbyists? • Employees of an association that try to influence policy decisions and positions in the government • Revolving Door - moving from a government job to a lobbying job (common-good contacts already made) • A former gov’t worker cannot directly lobby their former agency or office

  22. What do Lobbyists do? • Helps provide money for members of Congress for their next campaign • Provide two types of information: Political (who supports what) and Substantive (impact of proposed legislation)

  23. Revolving Doors produce networks of people involved with certain issues. These networks are called IRON TRIANGLES or issue networks. • Mutually supporting relationships among interest groups, congressional committees, and gov’t agencies

  24. Iron Triangle or Issue Network Congressional Committee Corporations Or gov’t contractors Gov’tal Agency

  25. What are PACs? • Political Action Committee is the political part of an interest group • Can legally raise money for candidates or political parties from members, stockholders, or employees (of interest group) • in number when the Campaign Reform Act 1974 limited individual contributions (over 4000 today) • Individual candidates set up PACS – Sarah Palin

  26. How PACs Invest their Money • PACs invest in influential candidates (the Speaker, committee chairs) • PACs also give to important minority members because they never know when the balance switches in the House and Senate

  27. PAC LIMITS • Federal Elections Campaign Act (1971) limits PACs to $5000 per election or $10,000 per election cycle (primary and general election) • OFT MONEY -PACs have no limits to contributions made to a political party for party-building purposes

  28. Effectiveness of PACs • Individuals can only contribute $2400 while a PAC can give $5000 • “Bundling” helps PACs get around the limits • Help campaigns through phone calls, mailings, and television • Issue Advocacy-promote or oppose a particular issue in the campaign

  29. 527 Groups • Tax-exempt organizations created to influence elections • Not subjected to the same restrictions as PACs • Texans for Truth, America Coming Together

  30. FEC and Interest Groups • Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 2002 (McCain-Feingold Act) • Purpose to control $ that comes into federal campaigns and provide transparency for the $ collected • McConnell v. FEC (2003)– 527 groups exempt especially for non-partisan issues, no regulation of internet ads

  31. Honest Leadership & Open Govt Act (2007) • FEC developed regulations to limit the workings of lobbyists • lobbyists would bundle $ for a candidate • PACs now need to disclose lobbyists who bundle funds

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