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Interest Groups Roles & Theories of Interest Groups

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1 Interest Groups Roles & Theories of Interest Groups
How are they successful? How do they shape policy? Types of Interest Groups

2 Interest groups What is an interest group?
Textbook Definition: Group of people that share policy goals and engage in politics to meet their goals. Protected by the 1st amendment (assembly) Goals?: change policy on the national, state and/or local levels. Difference between interest groups and political parties?: Don’t run for office. Specialize in one or just a few policies. Interest groups Roles of Interest Groups Interest groups are also known as part of the linkage institutions model. The terms linkage institutions, lobbying groups and interest groups are all the same thing. Don’t forget!

3 Interest groups Pluralism
Believe that interest groups help bring inspiration to all by giving people a voice Group Theory of Politics Group link people & gov Groups compete Hard for one group to dominate Groups follow the rules Groups use resources to their advantage Labor has numbers, Corporations have $$$ Interest groups Theories of Interest Group Politics Pluralism is also a term used to describe a collective group of something. Just don’t add the apostrophe incorrectly or your English teacher’s will be upsetted.

4 Interest groups Elitism View many interest groups as insignificant
Just a few have real power How Elitists views interest groups The numbers don’t matter, all that matters is who has power Large corporations have power Interlocking directorates have power The same small group of people sit on the same boards of the same major companies Corporations prevail on major issues Interest groups Theories of Interest Group Politics Globo Gym’s Purple Cobras were the runners up in the 2004 Las Vegas Invitational Dodge Ball tournament. This was preserved for historical reasons on film in the documentary DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.

5 Interest groups DRAW THIS!!! Hyperpluralism Iron Triangle:
Belief that interest groups contribute to gridlock Too many views, voices to make a difference Iron Triangle: Relationship between interest groups, Congress and the bureaucracy (governmental agencies) All parts of the iron triangle protect their own interests Hyperpluralist views on interest groups Groups become too powerful as gov tries to make everyone happy Policy that is confusing and contradictory often emerge as a result DRAW THIS!!! Interest groups Theories of Interest Group Politics The concept of iron triangles has been tested on every AP US Government and Politics test since the creation of the test back in 1792 by James Madison, John Paul Jones and Bill Nye. It’s that important guys!

6 Interest groups Large Group Issues? Collective Group:
Smaller groups often more successful Potential Groups: people who could join Actual Groups: people who did join Collective Group: Something that benefits everyone, regardless if they joined the group or not Clean air benefits all, not just environmentalists Free-Rider Problem: Not joining a group because you still get benefits Interest groups What makes them successful? In a now banned episode, Oscar the Grouch falls in love with the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. It was deemed too scary for kids and eventually pulled from the air and deleted from the online archives.

7 Interest groups Intensity Single-Issue Group: Financial Resources:
Politicians respond better to groups that have a loud message, passionate Single-Issue Group: Focus in on one issue Hesitant to compromise, fear slippery slope Financial Resources: Interest Groups favor the wealthy Not all are successful Some interest groups battle each other Pro-Business vs Environmental Groups Interest groups What makes them successful? The slippery slope concept is based upon a process or series of events that is hard to stop or control once it has begun and that usually leads to worse or more difficult things.

8 Interest groups Lobbying Types of Lobbyists:
Influencing government to achieve their goals Lots of former Congress members are lobbyists Types of Lobbyists: Paid by a group as employees Independent consultants Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995: Certain groups must report who their lobbyists are and how much are paid How lobbyists Help: Provide information Help with strategies to pass legislation Provide campaign strategies, ideas, innovations Interest groups How they try to shape policy “You can’t take a congressman to lunch for $25 and buy him a steak. But you can take him to a fundraising lunch and not only buy him that steak, but give him $25,000 extra and call it a fundraiser.” – Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff

9 Interest groups Electioneering
Aiding candidates financially and getting group members to support them 50% of all money in Congress are from PACs $351 million from PACs in 2010 SuperPACs spent $3 Billion in 2014 PACs overwhelming support incumbents PACs choose candidates based upon: Similar interests, support issues they support, geographic connections, agency ties, leadership ties Get involved via: Recruit candidates for office, endorse individuals, help with volunteer organizing Interest groups How they try to shape policy As of September 16, 2016, 2,331 groups organized as super PACs have reported total receipts of $993,806,472 and total independent expenditures of $570,435,823 in the cycle.

10 Interest groups Litigation When interest groups fail, courts are used
Civil rights movement, for example Amicus Curiae Briefs “Friends of the Court” Allows groups to file court briefs to give their opinion on the case Class Action Lawsuits Combines several similar cases into one large case Former NFL players suffering concussions Going Public Groups often use their images to swap public opinion Interest groups How they try to shape policy George Washington said that political parties are used by “unprincipled men and enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

11 Interest groups Economic Interests
Gov provides subsidies to many groups Labor Unions seek better working conditions, higher wages, fewer hours, more benefits Union Shops: requires workers to join a union Right-to-work laws: does not require workers to join unions, only in some states Decline of union membership Lower wages in other countries affects employment in the US (outsourcing) Free-rider problems Interest groups Types of Interest Groups George Washington said that political parties are used by “unprincipled men and enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

12 Interest groups Business Environmental Interests Equality Interests
Many corporations have offices in DC Businesses often have differing goals Railroads don’t want more highways, trucking companies do Environmental Interests Seeks to combat pollution and climate change Opposes off-shore drilling and urban fracking Equality Interests NAACP: argued before Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education Fought discrimination NOW: advocates for passing Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) – failed. Interest groups Types of Interest Groups Interest groups representing retirees have contributed the most lobbying dollars than any other group, totaling $74,257,923 in 2016 so far. The top recipient of these funds has been Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

13 Interest groups Consumer and Other Public Interests
Public Interest Lobbies: organizations that seek to a collective good and which members of the organization do not directly benefit Consumer Advocate Groups: Unsafe at Any Speed Consumer Product Safety Commission: created by Congress to regulate products Other Public Interest Groups Christian Coalition: moral standards Common Cause: transparent govt. Interest groups Types of Interest Groups Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile by Ralph Nader, published in 1965, is a book accusing car manufacturers of resistance to the introduction of safety features such as seat belts, and their general reluctance to spend money on improving safety.

14 Interest groups Interest Groups & Democracy
Madison argued that opposing interest groups would counterbalance each other Elite theorists argue that interests groups corrupt American politics Hyperpluralists argue that policymakers seek to appease too many voices and fail regardless Interest Groups & Scope of Government Interest Groups increase the size of gov Groups push for new programs, they get adopted, then require new govt agencies As federal govt expands, so does the number of interest groups. Interest groups Understanding Interest Groups James Madison, along with authoring several of the Federalist papers, appeared on the $5000 bill until the government stopped printing it in He also is the only US President to have not one but two of his Vice Presidents die in office. He also liked ice cream (before refrigeration!) and his wife, Dolley’s favorite flavor was… oyster. Seriously. I didn’t make this up.

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