Interest Groups

1. Interest Groups

2. Warm Up • 1. What is an interest group? • 2. Would you consider being a part of any interest group? Why or why not?

3. AARP – American Association of Retired People ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union AFL-CIO – American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations ABA - American Bar Association American Conservative Union American Farm Bureau AIPAC - American Israel Public Affairs Committee AMA - American Medical Association ATLA - Association of Trial Lawyers of America The Business Roundtable PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Public Citizen Sierra Club US Chamber of Commerce Veterans of Foreign Wars Christian Coalition Club for Growth Council on American-Islamic Relations Emily’s List Environmental Defense Fund Family Research Council Handgun Control,Inc. Moveon.org NAACP – National Association of Colored People NAM - National Association of Manufacturers NARAL – National Abortion Rights Action League NEA - National Education Association National Resources Defense Council NOW – National Organization of Women NRA – National Rifle Association Interest Groups

4. Interest Groups Organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process to try and achieve those aims BUT don’t run their own candidates for office http://www.aarp.org/

5. Parties vs. Interest Groups • Represent political points of view of people who want to influence policy making • Differences • Parties influence gov’t through electoral process – they run candidates for office • Interest Groups and PACs support candidates, but don’t run candidates • Parties support broad spectrum of policies • Interest groups support one or few related policies

6. Roles • 1. Representation • 2. Participation • 3. Education • 4. Agenda Building • 5. Program Monitoring

7. Resources • 1. Members • Political muscle and financial resources (dues and direct mail) • 2. Lobbyists • Represent the interest group • More than 40% of representatives and senators who leave Congress become employed as lobbyists – revolving door • 3. PAC’s and 527’s • PAC’s - arms of interest groups, legally entitled to raise voluntary funds to contribute to favored candidates or parties • 527’ s- tax exempt organizations created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment, or defeat of candidates for public office

8. IG’s Good or Bad? Elitist Theory Sure there lots of groups…but many of them don’t matter at all Real power & real access held by big business interests Extensive system of interlocking directorates (same people sitting on several boards or corporations, and universities) fortifies the control. Other groups may win minor policy battles, but the corporate elites prevail when it comes to the big decisions.

9. IG’s Good or Bad? Pluralist Theory 1. Linkage Institution – link people to their government (like elections and parties) 2. Vast number of interests and groups - Groups compete but cannot become too dominant 3. Does not mean that all groups are equal, but they have an opportunity to influence the government 4. Those weak in one resource are strong in others Groups usually play by the rules • Federalist 10 Factions bad, so lets have many of them

10. IG’s Good or Bad? Hyperpluralist Theory Pluralist system is out of control In an effort to please and appease every interest, agencies proliferate, conflicting regulations expand, programs multiply, and budgets skyrocket

11. What makes InterestGroups Powerful? • Size • 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.” • Free riders - someone else will do the work • Power of AARP • Intensity • Intensely committed = more success • Single issue group –has a narrow interest Money • PACs and 527s • Money they raise

12. How Groups Try to Shape Policy • Lobbying • Direct lobbying or grassroots lobbying • Regulations • EX: 2007 – Rules prohibited lobbyists form paying for most meals, trips, parties, and gifts for members of Congress • Lobbyists required to disclose amount and sources of small campaign contributions they collected from clients and bundled into large contributions • Electioneering • Get people in office who support their causes

13. How Groups Try to Shape Policy • Litigation • amicus curiae “friends of the court” briefs • Briefs submitted to courts in support of one side of the case • class action lawsuits - enables a group of similarly situated plaintiffs to combine similar grievances into a single suit

14. Economic Interests Labor Unions Agriculture groups Business groups Professional groups Equality Interests Women and minorities – equal rights Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies Public Interest Groups Environmental Interests seek “a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization.” Types of Interest Groups

15. Where Do Interest Groups Get Their Money? • 1. Members • 2. Foundation Grants • - Funds established usually by prominent families or corporations for philanthropy • 3. Federal Grants and Contracts • - Not granted directly to organizations for lobbying purposes, but they may be given to support a project the organization supports • 4. Direct solicitation • - Direct mail to solicit funds