INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 8

Interest Groups and Politics  What Are Interest Groups?  Group of citizens who share a common interest  Try to influence public policy to benefit members  Proactive and reactive groups Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 2

Interest Groups and Politics  The Right to Assemble and to Petition  Right of association in First Amendment  right of association: Right to freely associate with others and form groups, as protected by the First Amendment.  Framers fearful of factions  faction: Defined by Madison as any group that places its own interests above the aggregate interests of society.  right of petition: Right to ask the government for assistance with a problem or to express opposition to a government policy, as protected by the First Amendment.  lobbying: Act of trying to persuade elected officials to adopt a specific policy change or maintain the status quo. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 3

Interest Groups and Politics  The History of Interest Groups  Citizens opposed to slavery  Women’s suffrage  Trade associations during Industrialization  Labor unions  Prohibition  Today, grassroots movements  unions: Interest groups of individuals who share a common type of employment and seek better wages and working conditions through collective bargaining with employers.  Grassroots movement: Group that forms in response to an economic or political event but does not focus on only one issue. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 4

Types of Interest Groups  Economic Interest Groups-- Group formed to advance the economic status of its members.  Trade and Professional Associations  Individuals who share similar jobs  Corporations  Unions  Protect workers through better wages/working conditions  Strength in the strike  Declining membership Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 5

Types of Interest Groups  ideological interest groups: Groups that form among citizens with the same beliefs about a specific issue.  citizens’ groups: Groups that form to draw attention to purely public issues that affect all citizens equally.  single-issue groups: Groups that form to present one view on a highly salient issue that is intensely important to members, such as gun control or abortion. 6

Types of Interest Groups  Foreign Policy and International Groups  Groups That Influence Foreign Policy  AIPAC (pro Israel group)  Groups That Advocate International Aid and Support for Human Rights  Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs): Organizations independent of governments that monitor and improve political, economic, and social conditions throughout the world. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 7

What Interest Groups Do  Inform  Interpret how policy will affect their mission  Lobby  The Lobbyists  Lobbying Strategies  Inside strategy-- A strategy employed by interest groups to pursue a narrow policy change and influence legislators directly rather than using a wider grassroots approach.  Outside strategy  Grassroots strategy Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 8

Top Spenders on Lobbying,

What Interest Groups Do  Campaign Activities  501(c)(3) organizations: Tax-exempt groups that are prohibited from lobbying or campaigning for a party or candidate.  political action committees (PACs):Groups formed to raise and contribute funds to support electoral candidates and that are subject to campaign finance laws.  Buckley v. Valeo decision increased growth of PACs  Critics say disproportionate influence over legislators  Running issue ads Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 10

Top 20 PAC Contributors to Candidates

The Impact of Interest Groups on Democratic Processes  Natural Balance or Disproportionate Power  Olson argued difficult to keep effective  Dahl’s pluralist view  pluralist: View of democratic society in which interest groups compete over policy goals, and elected officials are mediators of group conflict.  Mills power elite  Narrow focus elicits sense of illegitimacy  Special interests has negative connotation  special interests: Set of groups seeking a particular benefit for themselves in the policy process. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 12

The Impact of Interest Groups on Democratic Processes  Self-Service or Public Service  Auto manufacturers blocked government-mandated fuel standards  Interest groups tend to talk over each other  Open or Closed Routes of Influence  iron triangle: Insular and closed relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and federal agencies.  issue network: View of the relationship among interest groups, members of Congress, and federal agencies as more fluid, open, and transparent than that described by the term iron triangle.  revolving door: Movement of members of Congress, lobbyists, and executive branch employees into paid positions in each other’s organizations. 13

Iron Triangle 14

The Impact of Interest Groups on Democratic Processes Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 15 In a prime example of the revolving door, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) who was a conservative leader in the Senate, left office during his term to lead the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, reportedly for a much higher salary.

Characteristics of Successful Interest Groups  Leadership Accountability  iron law of oligarchy: Theory that leaders in any organization eventually behave in their own self-interest, even at the expense of rank-and-file members; the larger the organization, the greater the likelihood that the leader will behave this way.  Membership Stability  selective benefits: Benefits offered exclusively to members of an interest group.  public goods: Goods or benefits provided by government from which everyone benefits and from which no one can be excluded.  free rider problem: Problem faced by interest groups when a collective benefit they provide is so widespread and diffuse that members and nonmembers alike receive it, reducing the incentive for joining the group. 16

Characteristics of Successful Interest Groups  Financial Stability  Internet makes fundraising easier  Membership dues  Creation of not-for-profit business (AARP)  Influence in the Public Sphere  Quoted in the press  Testifying before Congress Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 17

Interest Groups and Democracy  Collective Voice  Methods to influence policy  Direct lobbying  Media campaigns  Legal challenges  Grassroots organizing  Express wide-ranging views Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 18