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Interest Groups

Interest Groups. Interest Group Theory. Elitist Pluralist Hyper-Pluralist. What is an Interest Group?. There are many aliases an interest group has. (Pressure Groups, Lobby Groups, Special Interest Groups, Advocacy Groups…)

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Interest Groups

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  1. Interest Groups

  2. Interest Group Theory • Elitist • Pluralist • Hyper-Pluralist

  3. What is an Interest Group? • There are many aliases an interest group has. (Pressure Groups, Lobby Groups, Special Interest Groups, Advocacy Groups…) • There are a number of definitions for interest groups in your book • Functions- To influence public policy • They are not- Political Parties…they do not run candidates. They try to influence political parties.

  4. Lobbying • A strategy by which organized interests seek to influence passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature

  5. Types of Interest Groups • Public Interest Groups • Seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization

  6. Economic Interest • Economic Interest Groups (Lots of Money) • A group whose primary purpose is to promote the financial interests of its members

  7. How are Interest Groups Effective? • Size • Intensity • Money

  8. Mobilizing Public Opinion • Grassroots Mobilization (Lobbying) • A campaign in which a group mobilizes its membership to contact governmental officials in support of the groups position • What groups do you think would specialize in Grassroots Mobilization

  9. Protests and Demonstrations • Many Groups will go public with parades or protests because they lack the resources, the contacts, or the experience to use other political stategies • Southern Christian Leadership Conference • Is the most significant and successful case of a protest or demonstration • Groups are still protesting and demonstrating today

  10. How will they Lobby • Campaign Contributions • PACs • Advertising • Super PACs • Coalition Building • Wining and Dining • Jack Abramoff

  11. Quiz on Interest groups • What is the only goal of an interest group? • What is the only function of an interest group?(how they accomplish their goal) • Describe one way the AARP (40 million members) would lobby a congressman • Describe one way the American Medical Association would lobby a congressman

  12. Lobbying the Courts • Litigation (suing) • Sponsor a Court Case • NAACP and Brown v. Board of Education • Amicus Curiae • Friend of the Court Briefs • Non Litigant Documents submitted to the court to influence their opinion • THOSE ARE THE ONLY WAYS TO LOBBY THE COURTS • Wining and Dining judges is illegal….YOU WILL GO TO JAIL!!!!

  13. Interest Group • Number One Goal • Influence Politics/ public policy • How do they influence Politics • Inform government officials and the public • How do they inform the government officials and the public? • Through everything we just talked about…The main ways… • Contribute Money, Talk Directly to Government Officials, Litigation (sponsor a court case or Amicus briefs) Mobilize the Public, Contribute to the Electoral Process

  14. Pros and Cons • Pros • Participation and Access • Linkage Institution • Expertise • More so than Congressmen and Bureaucrats. • Interest Groups write legislation • Cons • Bias • Elitist Theory • Revolving Door • revolving door that shuffles former federal employees into jobs as lobbyists, consultants and strategists just as the door pulls former hired guns into government careers.

  15. Lobbying Congress • Lobbying in the government occurs the most in Congress • Why? • Most Common Ways to Lobby in Congress • Donate Money to Candidates (money) • Litigation • Endorse a Candidate (people) • Talk Directly to a Government Official (money) • Alert State Legislators of a bill’s effects on their districts (People) • Testify at a Legislative Hearing • Mount a grassroots movement (People)

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