1. Linkage Institutions Interest Groups

2. What is an Interest Group? ● A group of people who share an interest or view about an issue, and unite to promote their interests and beliefs ● Main goal is to influence the Government and public policy

3. Types of Interest Groups ● Economic Interest Groups o Largest and most powerful o Examples  AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations)  Tobacco Institute  The American Medical Association (AMA)

4. Types of Interest Groups cont. ● Interest groups organize to promote an ethnic, age, religious, or gender group o Examples  NAACP  NOW (national organizaiton of women’s interests)  AARP (american association of retired persons)

5. Single-Issue Interest Groups ● Interest groups form for special causes o Examples  Sierra Club  National Rifle Association (NRA)

6. Types of Interest Groups ● Public Interest Groups o interest groups that work to benefit all, or at least most, people o Examples  League of Women Voters  Common Cause (promostes a more effective government)

7. Interest Groups and the Government ● Primary goal is to influence public policy ● Interest groups focus on elections, courts, and legislatures

8. Elections ● Interest groups use money and other political resources to support candidates who might back their ideas and initiatives ● Many interest groups form PACs

9. Bringing Cases to Court ● Interest groups try to influence public policy by bringing cases to court ● Interest groups may feel that a law is not properly enforced, or that a law is unconstitutional o Ex. NAACP aided 13 familites in a class action suit in Brown v. Board of Education

10. Focusing on Lawmakers-Lobbying ● Lobbyists o Representatives of interest groups who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly ● Lobbyists work on all levels of government

11. Lobbying Firms ● Many of the major lobbying firms and advocacy groups are located on K Street in downtown Washington, D.C.

12. Lobbyists ● Lobbyists can supply lawmakers with useful information ● Lobbyists help lawmakers deal with thousands of bills each year by providing information

13. Regulating Interest Groups ● Federal and State government regulate their activities ● Lobbying and Disclosure Act (1995) o Lobbyists must register with Congressional officials o Lobbyists must disclose information

14. Regulating Interest Groups ● Federal and State laws can require a waiting period before former government officials can become lobbyists ● ‘Revolving Door’-term for employees who move between government jobs and jobs as lobbyists

15. Cons of Interest Groups ● Lobbyist have too much influence because of campaign contributions ● Corrupting government officials o Ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff

16. Pros of Interest Groups ● Force government to be more responsive ● Communicate citizens’ wishes to their Representatives

17. Formative Assessment In the following slide you will be required to take a formative assessment focused on the information you just learned. Please select the best answer for these questions. If you miss any of these questions, please go back and review the material before you move forward.

18. Formative Assessment Question 1 What is the main goal of interest groups? Influencing public policy. Electing a candidate to public office. Winning the Presidential election. Managing Campaign Finance donations.

19. Formative Assessment Question 2 What are representatives of interest groups, who contact lawmakers or other government officials directly, called? Lobbyists Political Action Committees Incumbents Superdelegates

20. Formative Assessment Question 3 Which is the propaganda technique that emphasizes ‘everyone else is doing something, so you should too’? Bandwagon Card Stacking Glittering Generality Transfer

21. Formative Assessment Question 4 Which is NOT a way the government can regulate interest groups? Requiring lobbyists to pass Civil Service exam before they can lobby Congress. Requiring a waiting period before government officials can become lobbyists. Requiring lobbyists to register in order to have their actions monitored. Requiring lobbyists to disclose how they spend money related to their work.

22. Formative Assessment Question 5 What is K Street known for? The location of many of Washington’s Lobbying firms. The place where Jack Abramoff was arrested. The location of where lobbyists must register. A place where lobbyists are prohibited from going.

23. Citations (Images and references) Slide 1:. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 5 Jun 2014. Slide 2: Jakeschov, Jana. 2006. Graphic. n.p. Web. 14 Apr 2013. http://openclipart.org/people/Machovka/Machovka_Writing.svg. Slide 3: Cyberscooty,. Book Stack. 2012. Graphic. n.p. Web. 14 Apr 2013. http://openclipart.org/people/cyberscooty/book_stack.svg. Slide 4: Levy, David. 2013. Photograph. n.p. Web. 28 Apr 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Margaret_Thatcher_cropped.jpg. Use: http://old.citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&mode=form&reqsrcid=MLAWebImage&src Code=12&more=yes&nameCnt=1 http://old.citationmachine.net/index2.php?reqstyleid=1&mode=form&reqsrcid=MLAWebImage&src Code=12&more=yes&nameCnt=1 To make your citations. Take a look at this to see how it is done. http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c21hbYngBH