American Citizenship Chapter 9 Interest Groups
Section 1 The Nature of Interest Groups
The Role of Interest Groups Seek to influence Public Policy They Function at every level of government We are a pluralistic society
Political Parties and Interest Groups Three major distinctions between political parties and interest groups Making of nominations Primary focus Political parties are concerned about winning elections, while interest groups are issue oriented Scope of their interests
Interest Groups: Good or Bad? Two Early Views Madison and Tocqueville disagreed on the importance of interest groups Valuable Functions of Interest Groups Interest groups help stimulate interest in public affairs those issues and events that concern the people at large represent members on the basis of shared attitudes provide useful, specialized and detailed information to government vehicles for political participation watchdog participation
Interest Groups: Good or Bad? (Con’t) Criticism Sometimes more interested in their own agenda, as opposed to the interests of Americans More organized and financed, the more say in government How many people truly support the interest group? Generally controlled by an active minority Bribery and Threats sometimes used
Section 2 Types of Interest Groups
An American Tradition Interest groups have been in American history from the beginning, in one form or another Come in all shapes and sizes On any issue, however predominantly civil rights and economics Chamber of Commerce American Legion PTA MSTA Church
Group Based on Economic Interests Business Groups Business owners were strong proponents of the constitutional convention in 1787 Trade Associations most common today interest groups within the business community Labor Groups Labor Unions an organization of workers who share the same type of job or who work in the same industry Largest labor union today is the AFL-CIO
Membership in Labor Unions Chapter 9, Section
Group Based on Economic Interests (Con’t) Agricultural Groups Today only 2% of the U.S. population lives on farms American Farm Bureau one of the most prominent Agricultural interest groups Professional Groups Specialized on certain professions such as the AMA, ABA, NEA
Other Interest Groups Groups that promote causes Exist to promote a cause or an idea Examples ACLU, Planned Parenthood, NRA, Sierra Club, National Right-to-life Committee Organizations that promote the welfare of certain groups American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Affairs, AARP, NAACP, NAAA Religious Groups Try to influence public policy in reference to church beliefs National Council of Churches
Membership in Labor Unions Chapter 9, Section
Public-Interest Groups An interest group that seeks to institute certain public policies of benefit to all or most people in this country
Section 3 Interest Groups at Work
Influencing Public Opinion Interest Groups reach out in three ways Supply the public with “accurate” information Build a positive image for the group Promote a particular public policy
Propaganda A technique of persuasion aimed at influencing individual or group behaviors Taking a conclusion, and finding information to support that conclusion Greatly used through mass media, with simple slogans
Influencing Parties and Elections Interest Groups know and use political parties as allies to advance their particular issues PAC’s most common use of Interest Groups in the political process Single-interest groups PACs that concentrate their efforts on one issue, such as abortion, gun control, or health care
Lobbying Those activities by which group pressures are brought to bear on legislators and legislative process Nearly all types of interest groups, have lobbyist in Washington, D.C. in order to influence legislative decisions Lobbyist at Work They will write articles in papers, create commercials, testify before committees, etc. Grass roots pressure is brought up as well from the people, average voters Lobby Regulation Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 requires all those involved in lobbying to register