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Understanding Interest Groups: History, Influence, and Strategies for Change

Explore the essence and history of interest groups, from their early development pre-Revolution to the contemporary landscape. Discover how interest groups operate, influence decisions, and prioritize issues, along with their strategies such as lobbying and campaign expenditures. Gain insight into the types of interest groups, funding sources, and key players in shaping political outcomes.

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Understanding Interest Groups: History, Influence, and Strategies for Change

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  1. Essence and history of interest groups

  2. Definition • A collection of individuals linked together by professional circumstance, or by common political, economic, or social interest such that: • Its name does not appear on a ballot • It uses some portion of its resources to influence decisions made by some government entity • It is organized externally to government

  3. Historical Development • Existed pre-Revolution • Early groups organized at state level • Explosion of groups 1870-1900: why? • Disturbance theory • Changes in Congress • Second explosion since 1960 • Disturbance theory • Social movements • Educated middle class

  4. Early groups • 1833 American Anti Slavery Society • 1834 National Trades Union • 1847 American Medical Association • 1867 National Grange • 1871 National Rifle Association • 1886 American Federation of Labor • 1892 Sierra Club • 1909 NAACP • 1912 US Chamber of Commerce • 1924 National League of Cities

  5. The contemporary group landscape

  6. Types of groups • Membership organizations • Trade and Professional Associations • Labor unions • Citizen groups • Institutional interests • Charitable and Religious Groups • Corporations • Intergovernmental Lobby

  7. Setting priorities • What affects members most? • What issues are most central to group’s goals? • Timing in political environment • Hard to drop an issue

  8. What do they do to get what they want? • Testify at Congressional hearings (99%) • Contact government officials (98%) • Engage in unofficial contact with officials (95%) • Present research or technical info (92%) • Send letters to officials (92%) • Enter into coalitions with other groups (92%) • Attempt to shape implementation of law (90%) • Talk with the media (89%) • Help draft legislation (85%) • Inspire letter writing campaigns (84%) • Shape govt agenda by raising new issues (84%)

  9. What do they do to get what they want? • Have influential constituents contact members of Congress (80%) • Mount grassroots lobbying efforts (80%) • Alert members of Congress to effects of legislation on their districts (75%) • Filing suit (72%) • Contribute to campaigns (58%) • Doing favors for elected officials (56%) • Publicize candidates’ voting records (44%) • Run ads in the media (31%) • Conribute work or personnel to electoral campaigns (24%) • Endorse candidates (22%) • Protest/demonstrate (20%)

  10. Funding the group’s activities

  11. Expenditures on lobbying, 2008 US Chamber of Commerce $91,725,000 • Exxon Mobil $29,000,000 • AARP $27,900,000 • PG&E Corp $27,250,000 • Northrop Grumman $20,743,252 • American Medical Assn $20,555,000 • Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America$20,220,000 • American Hospital Assn $20,102,684 • Koch Industries $20,023,000 • General Electric $19,379,000 • Verizon Communications $18,020,000 • National Assn of Realtors $17,340,000 • Boeing Co $16,610,000 • Lockheed Martin $15,961,506 • Blue Cross/Blue Shield $15,560,165

  12. Top campaign expenditures in 2008 • Employees International Union $71,019,477 • ActBlue $54,382,729 • Moveon.org $38,123,571 • EMILY's List $34,965,661 • American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $33,035,182 • Friends of Fred Thompson $24,316,838 • American Federation of Teachers $20,995,532 • National Assn of Realtors $18,383,414 • Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $17,128,126 • National Rifle Assn $16,828,298 • Teamsters Union $16,148,705 • United Auto Workers $13,121,064

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