Interest Groups - Abortion Liberal Groups EMILY’s List (Early Money Is Like Yeast) Planned Parenthood Conservative Groups National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) National Right to Life
Interest Groups – Education Liberal Groups American Federation of Teachers (AFT) National Education Association (NEA) Conservative Groups Center for Education Reform Educational Excellence Network
Interest Groups – Environment Pro Sierra Club National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Greenpeace Environmental Defense Fund Con National Forestry Association Alliance for America Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise
Interest Groups – Gay Rights Pro Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Log Cabin Republicans Human Rights Campaign Con American Family Association Focus on the Family Family Research Council
Interest Groups – Gun Control Pro Violence Policy Center Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (CSGV) Brady Campaign Con Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Gun Owners of America (GOA) National Rifle Association (NRA)
Interest Groups – Health Care American Medical Association (AMA) American Public Health Association (APHA) American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Interest Groups – Immigration Liberal National Immigration Forum Urban Institute Conservative Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
Interest Groups – Union Pro AFL-CIO Industrial Workers of the World Con Heritage Foundation National Right to Work US Chamber of Commerce
Interest Groups – Social Security Pro American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Con Cato Institute
Interest Groups – Civil Rights National Organization for Women (NOW) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Anti-Defamation League American Civil Liberties Union Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies American Indian Movement (AIM)
Types of Interest Groups Why Lobbyists Exist Cleavages in American Society Multiple points of access Political Parties are weak Types of Interest Groups Institutional (or Sectional) Represent business Membership (or Single Issue) Represent people directly
Institutional Organizations Any sector of the American economy that needs “protection” from other groups (external and internal) Coalition of groups who have same goal (even if they are competitors of each other) Examples: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Car Lobby Tobacco Lobby
Membership Organizations Intent to make a person’s voice louder, so the government can hear it (generally members are “hardcore” believers of cause) Often have “sympathetic” support from community Examples: NAACP Sierra Club PTA
Why do people join? Incentives Solidary (social benefit) Local groups exist to help National Organization do the “heavy lifting” Material (economic benefit) Attracts people to an organization to increase clout (in numbers and money) Purposive (ideological benefit) Social Movements (often helps non-members) Environment, Civil Rights, Feminism, Unions
The business of expressing your viewpoints…