1. Interest Groups Unit 4- Text Chap 9
Interest Groups and the Scope of Government
Interest groups seek to maintain policies and programs that benefit them.
Interest groups continue to pressure government to make more policies to benefit their members.
But as the government does more things, does that cause the formation of more groups?
Interest groups are LINKAGE INSTITUTIONS

2. The Role and Reputation of Interest Groups
Defining Interest Groups
Any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy.
Aka: faction, pressure group, special interest
Political Parties and Interest Groups are similar in that they are both linkage institutions (serve to connect citizens with government)

3. Types of Interest Groups
Economic Interests
Labor
Agriculture
Business
Professional Organizations
Environmental Interests
Equality and Human Rights Interests
Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies

4. Economic Groups
Organized primarily for economic reasons and engage in political activity in order to seek favorable policies from the government.
National Assoc. of Manufactures
Chamber of Commerce
American Petroleum Org.

5. Labor Groups United Mine Workers AFL-CIO ( 12 million members)
Teamsters
Electrical Workers
AFT-American Federation of Teachers

6. Farm Groups The American Farm Bureau Federation
The National Farmers Union
The National Grange
Wheat, Milk, Soybean growers

7. Citizen Groups (non economic)
Interests formed by individuals to promote a cause they believe in but may not provide significant economic benefit
NAACP
Christian Coalition
Sierra Club
PIRG’s
NRA
ACLU and ADA
NOW

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9. Political Parties
Address a broad range of issues so as to appeal to diverse blocs of voters.
#1 goal is to win elections.
Interest Groups
Concentrate on policies affecting their interest.
May contribute to elections but main interest is to influence govt policy.

10. What Makes an Interest Group Successful?
Financial Resources
Not all groups have equal amounts of money.
Monetary donations usually translate into access to the politicians - a phone call, a meeting, etc.
There is a bias towards the wealthier groups.
The wealthier groups don’t always win in the policy arena, but have a better advantage.
AMA and NRA are wealthier groups that influence pol parties and politicians.

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13. Inside Lobbying Congress vs. Executive Branch vs
Inside Lobbying Congress vs. Executive Branch vs. Courts—refer to article Interest Groups—all 3 branches
Lobbying means Direct communication between organized interest groups and policymakers (gov officials). Lobbying is protected by the first amendment, “right to petition government “
2. Knowing which branch to access (all 3 branches article)and how to do so are key elements in inside- lobbying. More than 20,000 lobbyists in D.C. Most work on “K” Street in DC
Refer to Lanahan article #62 on K Street

14. Webs of Influence Iron Triangles (subgovernments)
Small and informal but relatively stable group of well-positioned legislators, bureaucrats and lobbyists who seek to promote policies beneficial to a particular interest.
See Andrade Article on and compare to “ISSUE NETWORKS” (temporary)

15. Ways Groups Try to Shape Policy
Lobbyists are a source of information for leg and exec branches.
Lobbyists can help politicians plan political strategies for possible legislation or carrying out said legislation.
Lobbyists can help politicians plan political strategies for reelection campaigns.
Lobbyists can provide ideas and innovations that can be turned into policies that the politician can take credit for.
Going Public
Groups try and cultivate a good public image.
Groups use marketing strategies to influence public opinion of the group and its issues.
Groups will purchase advertising to motivate the public about an issue.

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17. How Groups Try to Shape Policy through Electioneering (Outside)
Direct group involvement in the election process through Political Action Committees (PACS) which help pay the bill for increasing campaign costs.
Most PAC money goes to incumbents.
Super PACs or independent-expenditure-only-committees (IEOCs) had to develop due to the Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act--Not allowed to contribute/coordinate directly to the party or candidate
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Unrestricted fundraising
Disclosure of donors not required

18. How Groups Try to Shape Policy in the non-biased Court system
Litigation (ex. of inside lobbying)
If an interest group fails in one arena, the courts may be able to provide a remedy.
Interest groups can file amicus curiae briefs in court cases to support their position.
Class Action lawsuits permit small groups of people to try and correct a situation on behalf of a much larger group.

19. What Makes an Interest Group Successful?
Intensity and Grassroots Lobbying
Single-Issue groups: Groups that focus on a narrow interest and continue to work toward that issue. Ex. Civil Rights
Groups may focus on an emotional issue, providing them with a psychological advantage. Ex. Anti-terrorism
May be more likely to use protests and other means of member political participation than traditional interest groups that use lobbyists.—aka GRASSROOTS Lobbying
Ex. NAACP, NOW

20. Theories of Interest Group Politics
Pluralist Theory- is the IDEAL role of Interest groups-supported by James Madison
Elite Theory
Hyperpluralist Theory
Click on name to go to that slide.

21. Theories of Interest Group Politics - Pluralism
Politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one competing and pressing for its own preferred policies.
Many centers of power and many diverse, competing groups. No group wins or loses all the time or becomes dominant.
Groups provide the key link between the people and the government.
Groups usually play by the “rules of the game.”
Groups weak in one resource can use another.

22. Theories of Interest Group - Elitism
Societies are divided along class lines and an upper-class elite rules, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization.
Numerous groups mean nothing, power is not equally divided among them - some have much more.
The largest corporations and groups hold the most power.
Elite power is strengthened by a system of interlocking directorates of these corporations and other institutions. Ex. Philip Morris works with other tobacco companies to effect policies that help all those involved with tobacco.
Corporate elites are willing to lose the minor policy battles, but work to win the major policy issues in their favor.
Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few at the expense of the many.

23. Theories of Interest Group[ Politics - Elitism
Perceptions of the Dominance of Big Interests (Figure 11.1)

24. Theories of Interest Group Politics - Hyperpluralism
Interest Groups are so strong that government is weakened. Extreme, exaggerated form of pluralism.
Interest groups have become too powerful as the government tries to serve every interest.
When the government tries to please all the groups, the policies become confusing and contradictory.
Subgovernment groups consist of a network of groups that exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. The many subgovernments (iron triangles) aggravate the process.
With more interest groups getting involved, will these “subgovernments dissolve?”

25. The Surprising Ineffectiveness of Large Groups (Olsen’s rule)
Large groups are difficult to keep organized toward a common goal Why?
The Potential group: (All the people who might be interested because they share a common interest.) are not as powerful as the…. Actual group: The part of the potential group consisting of members who actually join and work toward goals of the group.
Furthermore some members do more than others:
Collective good: Something of value that cannot be withheld from a group member
Free-Rider problem: Some people don’t join interest groups because they benefit from the group’s activities without officially joining.
The bigger the group, the larger the free-rider problem. (Olson’s law of large groups) and the fewer people to do the work.

26. What Makes an Interest Group Successful?
The Benefits of Membership in the AARP (Figure 11.2)