Chapter 12 Interest Groups

Interest Group Roles in American Politics Interest groups, or organizations that seek to influence government, employ lobbyists to pursue benefits for their clients or membership. Groups serve their members by communicating political information to them, analyzing and relating members’ views to policymakers, and mobilizing people to act politically. A long debate continues among pluralist, hyperpluralist, and power elite theorists about whether the collective public is well represented by interest groups.

Types of Interest Groups Interest groups come in several types: those pursuing primarily economic concerns include business and labor groups, along with trade and professional associations. Citizen groups include those promoting broad causes (consumer rights, civil liberties) and single-issue advocates like the National Rifle Assocation, as well as ideological groups. Governments also lobby each other, as well as engaging in “reverse lobbying”—working with interest groups to advance desired aims.

Interest Groups Past and Present Interest group activity in the United States stretches back to the beginning of the republic; our modern system of thousands of highly active groups dates to the “advocacy explosion” of the 1960s-70s. Various reform efforts have done little to curb the activity and power of lobbyists. In recent years, younger Americans and women have increasingly populated Washington’s interest-group ranks.

Interest Group Lobbyists in Action Lobbyists perform a wide range of roles, from researchers to social butterflies. Private-sector lobbyists can represent a single firm or a trade association, or set up in business for themselves as independent lobbyists. Citizen groups are often loath to engage in “lobbying,” but they must in order to succeed.

Interest Groups and the Federal Branches of Government Lobbyists working in specific areas sometimes still form “iron triangles” with congressional staff and executive-branch officials. More fluid “issue networks” featuring lobbyists as central players increasingly characterize today’s complex policymaking environment. Successful federal lobbyists master political information gathering and analysis, engage in political campaigns, and form close ties with one of the two major parties. Interest groups also lobby the judicial branch by funding confirmation battles, filing amicus curiae briefs, and financing litigation.

Interest Groups and Power Because of the difficulty of directly measuring interest-group influence in government, researchers turn to metrics like number of lobbyists and the amounts of funds they spend on lobbying. Beginning in the mid-1960s, an advocacy explosion saw lobbyist numbers climb dramatically. Resources devoted to lobbying also rose sharply. Despite their extensive presence and billions of dollars in spending, lobbyists are not likely to change congressional minds on high-profile votes; their role is more akin to supporting the members who are already on the same side. Special favors are easier to win on obscure or highly technical topics. Regulations on interest-group activity are relatively limited in the United States. They have been tightened lately, but loopholes remain.

Are Interest Groups Bad or Good for America? Critics of interest groups in American governance variously claim that they are corrupt, too numerous, lack accountability through elections or other means, and/or enjoy access to lawmakers that ordinary citizens usually can’t achieve. Supporters of interest groups might respond that they enhance democratic representation, help communicate popular views to public officials (and in turn report on government actions to their members), mobilize people for action, or that their sheer numbers enhance the stability and predictability of American government.