Interest Groups

Explaining Proliferation Three reasons why Interest Groups are so common Is if there is a big gaps (cleavages) in society, the are more interest in many different things there will be. The American constitutional system contributes to the number of interest groups by helping them gain access to the government. By this people can actually do something by going an interest group. The weakness of political may help explain the members and straight of our interest groups.

The Birth of Interest Groups Interest Groups have grown rapidly since 1960. A study revealed that 70% of Interest Groups established their Washington offices after 1960 and open until 1970 1770’s Many groups arose to agitate for American Independence. 1830-1840 number of religious associations Increased sharply, the antislavery movement began. 1860’s trade unions based on crafts emerged In significant numbers. -Farmers formed the Grange -Fraternal organization were born -1800’s and 1890 business association proliferated this is some The first 2 years or the 20th Century The Chamber Of Commerce/ the National Association of manufactures.

The Growth of Interest Groups

Examples of Interest Groups National Association For the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) The American Medical Association The Urban League The American Bureau Federation The Farmers Union National Catholic Welfare Conference The American Jewish Committee The Anti Defamation League 4 factors help explain the rise of Interest Groups Broad Economic developments that created new Interest and redefine old ones Gov. Policy itself helped create Interest Group Political Organizations do not emerge automatically even when government policy permits them and social circumstances seem to require them. Finally the more activities government undertakes the more organized groups there will be that are Interested in those activities

Kings of Organizations Interest Group is any type of organization that seeks to influence public policy There are Two types of Interest- Institutional and Membership Institutional interest: an individuals or organization representing others organization Membership Interest: Organization made by activist and the contributions of individual citizens Incentives to join Soldiery Incentives: The social rewards (sense of pleasures, states or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations Material Incentives: Money or things valued in monetary terms Purpose Incentives: A benefit that comes from serving cause or principle

Kings of Organizations

Con’t Organization that attracts members by appeals to their interest in a whereat set of controversial principles are sometimes called ideological interest Public Interest Lobby: Political organization that will benefit the non members (the public)

Interest Groups and Social Members Social Moment: A widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order. The civil rights movement of the 1960’s was as big as the environmentalist movement of the 1970’s The Environmental Movement In the 1960’s -1970’s environmental issues again came to the force The smallest organization the more they tend to have liberal members The Feminist Movement League of women voters was founded in 1920’s There are Three of kings of feminist org. Those that rely chiefly on the solidary incentives enroll middle-class women with relatively high levels of schooling and tent to support those causes that command the widest support among women

Con’t 2. Women’s org. that attract members with purpose incentives 3. Women’s org. in the caucus that takes on special issues that have some material benefits to women The Union Movement The Major union movement in this county accurred in the 1930’s , when the Great Depression popular support, and sympathetic administration in Washington led to the rapid growth

Funds of Interest Groups Foundation Grants Public interest group found that one third of them receive half or more of all their founds from foundation grants Federal Grants and contracts The expansion of federal grants during the 1960 and 1970 also keep interest groups going No one really knows that the org. use the money the right way

Problem of Bias Many observers Believe Interest groups active in Washington reflect the upper class bias More affluent more likely to join Business or professional groups more numerous; better financed Representing business need to be well educated and better financed than org. repressing minorities One study found that over half of the many thousand groups represented in Washington were corporations the other third were professional and trade associations.

The Activities of Interest Groups Of all these tactics, the single most important one is in the eyes of virtually every lobbyist and every academic student of lobbying and every academic student of lobbying is supplying credible information Political Cue: a signal telling a legislator what value are at stake in a vote and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda. Ratings = assessments of a representations voting record on issues important to an interest group. Public support: The rise of new politics Money is probably one of the less effective ways by which interest groups advance their causes.

Con’t Few decades ago powered interest used their building wallets to buy influence in congress The laws had two effects It shapely restricted the amount that any interest could give to a candidate for federal office It made it legal for corp. and labor unions to form political action committees (PACs) that could make political contributions.3

Money and PAC’s

Regulating Interest Groups In 1946 Congress passed the federal regulation of Lobbying Act, which requires groups and individuals seeking to influence legislation to register with the secretary of the senate. The 1995 bill passed by congress covers people and groups who lobby the executive branch and congressional staffers as well as elected members of congress.