Interest Groups Linkage Institutions

How do interest groups link people to the government? Linkage Institutions Interest Groups How do interest groups link people to the government?

Interest Groups vs Political Parties

Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups 100 WIN ELECTIONS 100 INFLUENCE POLICY Control WHO the government is Control WHAT the government does

Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups 100 Policy Generalists 100 Policy Specialists Know a little bit about all policies Know everything about only 1 policy

Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups 100 Are flexible on policy stances 100 Are based on a policy stance that does not change They adopt policies because they are supported by voters They support parties because they are likely to enact desired policy

Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups 100 Represent you in government based on where you live 100 Represent you in government based on what you believe Its supporters are loyal to the party Its supporters have temporary party loyalty because of their stances

Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups 100 Depend on appealing to as many people as possible 100 Focus on appealing to a narrow group of people The bigger they are, the more successful they become They tend to become less effective the bigger the group becomes

Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups 100 Are viewed as a necessary part of politics 100 Are often viewed negatively by the average voter Everything they do is seen as playing the “game” of politics What they do is often viewed as “corruption”

RUN CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE IN ELECTIONS Interest Groups vs. Parties Political Parties Interest Groups RUN CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE IN ELECTIONS 100 DON’T DO THAT

Functions of Interest Groups

Interest Groups Functions Linkage Institution They link the people to the government by allowing them to organize and advocate directly to policy members about their policy preferences. They provide people with an alternative to political parties that can also communicate their wishes to the govt. They allow people to participate in government by focusing only on the issues they actually care about

Interest Groups Functions Influence Policy Making This is the main function of the interest group Everything else they do is secondary to this goal.

Interest Groups Functions Control Policy They want input in the policies that are passed by the government They do not care WHO runs the government, just what laws they pass They will suggest policies They may even write the policies themselves

Interest Groups Functions Inform the Public They work to get people to change their opinions about polices They will advertise directly to people The long term goal here is that the people who care will put pressure on policy makers to change the policy

Interest Groups Functions Inform the Policy Makers Often called “lobbying” – they attempt to persuade lawmakers They offer expertise to the policy makers since they are “policy specialists” They may suggest actual policies They may suggest effective ways to discuss policies publicly They may suggest strategies for passing polciies

Interest Groups Functions Raise Funds They raise money from their members to fund their activities They will donate much of this money to political candidates they like. In order to do so they must form a PAC and register so their members know where their money goes These donations are a big source of influence over the policy makers.

They allow groups of individuals to advocate for what they want. Interest Groups Functions Provide a Voice They allow groups of individuals to advocate for what they want. They amplify a persons freedom of speech by making them part of a group They represent you in government based on WHAT you believe in, not based on where your address is.

Interest Groups Functions Control Public Opinion They attempt to persuade the public They focus on maintaining a positive image within the public They want people to think of them as a good force in politics (in order to attract more members)

They organize people to participate in politics Interest Groups Functions Mobilize People They organize people to participate in politics They may endorse a candidate to get the group to vote as a big block of voters They may get people to rally in public as a way to show how much support their issue has and pressure lawmakers

Interest Groups in Society

If an individual has freedom of speech, doesn’t a group of them? Interest Groups Constitution In the Constitution Freedom of Speech If an individual has freedom of speech, doesn’t a group of them? Freedom of Assembly People have the right to organize in groups and assemble together to advocate their wishes

Interest Groups Constitution Federalist 10 Interest Groups are a faction! They want what’s best for their members – not what’s best for the country as a whole They can’t be prevented but we can control their effects…. By having several other groups around to compete with them

Interest Groups Pluralism Pluralism Society is a collection of groups, each pursuing their own interests. Groups compete with one another to achieve their interests Competing groups serve as a check on other groups, keeping them from becoming too powerful or getting all of their goals achieved Some groups are stronger than others, but smaller groups can form coalitions

Interest Groups Pluralism Pluralism Business groups are powerful and rich, and argue for deregulation Environmental groups appeal to more people and have support among the public Consumer protection groups are less visible, but effective in lobbying Environmental groups & consumer protection groups can work together to keep business interests in check.

Interest Groups Pluralism Hyperpluralism A more critical view of pluralism Groups have all the power in government, the govt can get nothing done because of them. Lawmaking grinds to a halt because the powerful groups prevent anything from passing that harms their interests The government is ineffective because of the groups

Congress refuses to pass any laws that would limit gun rights Interest Groups Pluralism Hyperpluralism Following Sandy Hook school shooting, 90% of Americans support bans on semiautomatic weapons Congress refuses to pass any laws that would limit gun rights Many Congressmen get large donation from the NRA every election, and depend on these to keep winning The govt cant do what the people want because the interest group has more sway over the lawmakers

Interest Groups Pluralism Hyperpluralism The American health care system is a mess. Obama wants to change it. Insurance companies don’t want any changes that hurts their profits Pharmaceutical companies and the AMA don’t want any policies that lead to their members making less money The govt makes policies that makes these groups happy and the voters are left with reform that they are not happy with.

Bigly Ideas Beliefs & Behaviors

Effects of Third Parties History Wrap Up Effects of Third Parties Types of Third Parties 2000 Election Third Party Elections Focus on these things: