16 February 2011 Warm-up: Complete the survey “Beyond Belonging (10 minutes – max). DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THE SURVEY

Describe the role of interest groups in influencing public policy. 3rd They act as pressure groups They support certain candidates They push their certain agenda They raise awareness of public affairs Provide useful specialized and detailed information to government

Describe the role of interest groups in influencing public policy 5 th period Try to persuade the public Appeal to certain interest They represent the interest of their group They try to persuade public officials to respond to the shared attitudes of its members. They shape public policy

The Role of Interest Groups: New Chapter 9, Section 1 Interest groups are private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy. Public policy includes all of the goals a government sets and the various courses of action it pursues as it attempts to realize these goals. Interest groups exist to shape public policy.

Compare and Contrast political parties and interest groups 5th Interest groups are concerned about the issues, political parties are concerned getting elected Interest groups do not nominate candidates for public office Political parties are more concerned about who Interest groups = what They both want their views passed

Compare and Contrast political parties and interest groups 3 rd period Primary focuses Parties nominate candidates for public office Parties are mainly interested in winning elections and controlling the government, groups are interested in the “what” government There scope of interests Interest groups raise awareness of public affairs Interest groups are private, political parties are public Interest groups are worried about the issues Political parties are worried about the power

Political Parties and Interest Groups: New Chapter 9, Section 1 Political parties and interest groups differ in three striking respects: (1) in the making of nominations, (2) in their primary focus, and (3) in the scope of their interests. Nominations Political parties are responsible for the nominating process, while interest groups hope to influence those nominations. Primary Focus Political parties are interested in winning elections and controlling government, while interest groups are interested in influencing the policies created by government. Scope of Interest Political parties concern themselves with the whole range of public affairs, while interest groups tend to focus on issues that their members are concerned about.

Interest groups are good 3 rd period They stimulate interest in public affairs Good: public affairs, clear cut views on issues, raise awareness, vehicles for political participation, add another element to the checks and balances features, provide useful and specialized and detailed information to the government.

Interest groups are bad 3 rd period Bad: they push their own special interests, its hard to tell who and how many people they are representing, they don’t represent the views of the people for whom they claim to speak, throwing money at candidates,

5 th Period: Interest groups are bad

Valuable Functions of Interest Groups: New Chapter 9, Section 1 Interest groups raise awareness of public affairs, or issues that concern the people at large. Interest groups represent people who share attitudes rather than those who share geography. Interest groups provide specialized information to government agencies and legislators. Interest groups are vehicles for political participation. Interest groups keep tabs on various public agencies and officials. Interest groups compete.

Criticisms: New Some groups have an influence far out of proportion to their size or importance. It can be difficult to tell who or how many people are served by a group. Groups do not always represent the views of the people they claim to speak for. In rare cases, groups use tactics such as bribery, threats, and so on. Chapter 9, Section 1

Influencing Parties and Elections: New Chapter 9, Section 3 Political Action Committees (PACs) raise and distribute money to candidates who will further their goals.

Lobbying: New Lobbying is any activity by which a group pressures legislators and influences the legislative process. Lobbying carries beyond the legislature. It is brought into government agencies, the executive branch, and even the courts. Nearly all important organized interest groups maintain lobbyists in Washington, D.C. Chapter 9, Section 3

Lobbyists at Work: New Lobbyists use several techniques: They send articles, reports, and other information to officeholders. They testify before legislative committees. They bring “grass-roots” pressures to bear through , letters, or phone calls from constituents. They rate candidates and publicize the ratings. They make campaign contributions. Chapter 9, Section 3