1. Warm up
(till 2:37)
What are interest groups?
What are lobbyists?

2. Word wall
Interest group- group of people who share common goals and organize to influence government.
Lobbyists- paid representatives of interest groups who try to LOBBY (influence) government officials.

4. Top 10 most powerful interest groups
Name
membership
$ spent on lobbying (2015)
1. National Rifle Association (NRA)
5 million
$3-4 million
2. US Chamber of Commerce
3 million
$85 million
3. American Medical Association
200,000
$22 million
4. AARP (American Association of Retired Persons
37 million
$8 million
5. Americans for Prosperity
n/a (501C organization)
$36 million (2012)
6. MoveOn.org
$22 million (2012)
7. American Israeli Public Affairs Committee
100,000
$3.3 million
8. AFL-CIO
12.5 million
$5 million
9. NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League
500,000
$170,000
10. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
$520,000

5. Interest groups vs. political parties
Nominate candidates and try to win office.
Broad-based ideology.
Must attract people of varied ideas to win elections.
Consider problems that affect all Americans.
Main Goal: Elect people to office
Support candidates who favor ideas.
Only concerned with few issues
Do not try to attract members with different points of view.
Fixed ideologies
Main Goal: Influence public policy!!
Influence government policies.
Form of representative government.

6. How do they help each other?
Interest groups help political parties-
Raise $$$$$$$$$
Organize/mobilize voters
Media campaigns
Endorsements
Political parties, in turn, give interest groups-
Access/influence to lawmakers
Legislation that helps cause

7. Interest group sector totals

8. Top Republican

9. Top democrat

10. Techniques used to reach goals
Litigation
Ex. NAACP for civil rights
Campaign contributions
NRA supports pro-gun candidates
Grassroots lobbying (requires less $$)/mass mobilization
MADD lobbying for drunk driving laws
ing/calling members about legislation (popular support lends strength to cause). (Grassroots lobbying video)

12. Crusader: Organizing to Influence
Discussion questions
Which groups opposed cutting the Crusader program? Why?
Why was it a good idea to hire General McCaffrey as a lobbyist for the Crusader project?
List some of the techniques used by Powell-Tate (the lobbying group) to convince legislature not to cancel the Crusader program?
Ultimately, how was public policy affected by the lobbying for the Crusader program?

13. Discussion questions
Why did members of Congress come to the defense of United Defense?
What kinds of tactics did United Defense use to fend off efforts to kill the Crusader?
In the end, was United Defense successful?
What is the iron triangle?

14. How might Congress protect independent regulatory agencies?
How do interest groups affect the Judicial Branch?
Do these interest groups make up a majority of voters in districts they impact?