1. Tactics, and Federal Regulation

2.   Interest groups’ tactics for attempting to influence Congressional action (or inaction) fall in to 4 general categories:  1) Lobbying  2) Electioneering  3) Litigation  4) Publicity Interest Group Tactics

3.   Two types of lobbyists Full-time employee Temporary employee Often former legislators or staffers  Why do Congressmen listen to lobbyists? Lobbyists provide specialized expertise Lobbyists help with political & campaign strategy Lobbyists provide ideas Lobbying

4.  *Direct “Lobbying” (Meeting with Lawmakers) “Lobbyist” “Lobby”

5. Industries’ big spenders on lobbying, 2009-2013

6.   Endorsements and Report Card Ratings  Get-out-the-vote efforts  Campaign contributions “Electioneering”

7.  *Political Endorsements (Campaign advertisements for candidates whose political views align with their own) “Endorsed” “Special Interest Group”

8.  Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas $3.2 Million *Political Donations (Through PACs)

9.  Political Action Committees  Who has PACs?  Corporations 50% of all PACs  Ideological Organizations 25%- rapidly increasing  Professional/trade/ health associations 15%  Labor Unions 10%  Overrepresentation of upper/upper middle classes and under representation of poor.

10.   Suing for enforcement Environmental regulations Civil rights groups – 1950s Brown v. Board of Education  Amicus curiae briefs  Class action lawsuits Litigation

11.   Mobilizing public opinion via a variety of methods:  Mass media  Mass mailings  Political advertisements Publicity

12.  *Propaganda (Political Ads) “Obamacare” “Interest Group”

13.   Lobbyists are required to register with the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate and indicate:  What group they are representing,  The amount of their salary or compensation, and  What types of expenses are reimbursed to them  They also have to file quarterly financial statements.  Source of these controls: 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act Federal Regulation of Interest Groups

14.   1978 Ethics in Government Act:  Senior executive branch officials cannot lobby federal agencies on a matter that fell within their scope of responsibility for two years after leaving government service.  In addition, they are prohibited from lobbying anyone in their former agency:  1) on any issue for one year, and  2) forever on matters that they were involved in  Note that these controls do not apply to Congressional lobbying Attempts to slow the “Revolving Door”