1. Interest Groups & PACs

2. What is an Interest Group?
It is an association of people who hold similar views or goals and try to influence public policy at every level of government
Interest Groups offer Americans an important means of influencing U.S. public policy. They are formed around many issues, such as public interest, social issues and economics.

3. Who do Interest Groups Influence?
Influences public policy goals
Federal level
State level
Influences actions taken by political leaders
Local level

4. What is the difference between Interest Groups and Political Parties?
Care mostly about who takes part in government
Political Parties
Care mostly about what the government does – especially on select issues
Interest Groups

5. How Do They Differ From Political Parties?
Interest Groups DON’T
nominate candidates
Focus on winning elections
Concern themselves with a broad range of issues

6. What do Interest Groups do?
Promote the group’s policies
Inform the public to the group’s cause
Frequently use propaganda to achieve their goals
File Lawsuits  NAACP in Brown v BOE
Lobby the government
Endorse candidates

7. pros and cons of Interest Groups
Stimulate interest in public affairs and issues that concern the people at large
Offer a chance for people to participate in politics and connect with others who share their views
Provide useful information to the government leaders who may not be familiar with all the issues
Since they compete with each other, they limit extremes
Keeps close tabs on government
Cons
Critics say they have more influence than they deserve based on the worth of their causes or the number of people they represent
Difficult to tell exactly how many people an interest group represents
Some interest groups do not represent the views of all the people they claim to represent
Interest groups can draw too much attention to an issue with aggressive behavior, thus causing politicians to cater to special interests

8. Types of interest groups?
Agricultural – groups who grow and produce food and other crops
American Farm Bureau Federation – farmers
National Potato Council
Business – follow issues such as taxes, energy prices, consumer protection laws
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
Snack Food Association – type of trade association that represents parts of industries like pretzels
American Wind Energy Association
Labor – protect the interests of workers (wages, safe workplace, benefits)
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

9. Types of interest groups?
Cause-Based – focus on a specific problem (endangered wildlife, children’s health, strengthening the nation’s borders)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Center for Civic Education
Societal – educate the public about a segment of society
American Muslim Alliance
National Organization for Women (NOW)
AARP – represents older Americans
Professional – set the standards for their group and protect economic interests
American Medical Association (AMA)
American Bar Association (ABA) -

10. Other Interest Groups - Some Environmental Groups and How They Do Business

11. Major Organized Interest Groups

12. Fortune Power 25 – Most Influential Interest Groups in Washington
National Rifle Association of America- Gun Ownership
AARP- Senior Citizens
National Federation of Independent Business- Small and Independent Businesses
American Israel Public Affairs Committee- Pro-Israel Policy
American Association for Justice- Lawyers
AFL-CIO- Union Leadership
Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America- Big Business
National Beer Wholesalers Association- Alcohol
National Association of Realtors- Real Estate
National Association of Manufacturers- Industrial Business
National Association of Home Builders of the United States- Home Construction
American Medical Association- Doctors
American Hospital Association- Hospitals

13. Fortune Power 25 (continued)
National Education Association of the United States- Education
American Farm Bureau Federation- Agriculture
Motion Picture Association of America- Movies
National Association of Broadcasters- TV and Radio Broadcasters
National Right to Life Committee- Pro-Life Policy
Health Insurance Association of America- Health Insurance
National Restaurant Association- Restaurant
National Governors' Association- Governors
Recording Industry Association of America- Musicians
American Bankers Association- Banking and Lending
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America- Pharmaceuticals
International Brotherhood of Teamsters- Blue-Collar Labor

14. How do Interest Groups Work?
Interest groups reach out to the public for three purposes
Supply the public with information in an effort to gain support for their cause
Work to build a positive image for their group
Promote the public policies they favor

15. How do Interest Groups Achieve their Goals?
Propaganda
The technique of persuasion aimed at influencing behaviors to create certain beliefs
These beliefs may be true, false or partly true

16. 2nd Amendment
National Guns Special Interest Groups
NRA
Brady Campaign

17. Who and What are Lobbyists?
Lobbying is the process of persuading public officials to take actions favorable to a given organized interest group. 
Lobbyists are usually paid employees or hired hands for an interest group. 
They have access to public officials and present the concerns, agenda, and needs of the interest group. 

18. The Influence of Lobbyists
Who are the Lobbyists?
A person or persons employed by and acting for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.
What do Lobbyists Do?
Engage in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators and the policies they enact. Lobbyists primarily provide money for campaigns.
The Iron Triangle
Origins of term “lobbying”: refers to the lobby or hallway outside the House and Senate chambers in the U.S. Capitol and to those who hung around the lobby of the old Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., when presidents dined there. The noun “lobby” is now used as a verb.
The term “lobbying” was not generally used until around the mid-nineteenth century in the United States.
Lobbyists help prepare legislation, testify before legislative hearings, and contribute a large share of the costs of campaigns.
There are over 1 million nonprofit organizations in the United States, several thousand of which registered as lobbyists in Washington, D.C.
What else do Lobbyists do: Socializing, Providing information, Grass-roots mobilization, Protests and demonstrations, Coalition building, Boycotts

19. Regulations
1946: Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act – lobbyists must register with the House and Senate
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995:
all individuals who seek to influence any member of Congress must disclose basic personal information about themselves, their lobbying activities, and their clients.
States also regulate the activities of lobbyists

20. What are PACs (Political Action Committees)?
Political Action Committees, commonly called "PACs," are the political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds from members, stockholders, or employees in order to contribute to favored political parties or candidates

21. Political Action Committees
Federal Election Commission (FEC) Limits PAC Contributions
Under federal election laws, PACs can legally contribute only $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC.

22. Citizens United v Federal Election Commission January 21, 2010
Citizens United v Federal Election Commission January 21, BACKGROUND
Conservative non- profit organization Citizens United wanted to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton and to advertise the film during television broadcasts shortly before the Democratic primary election in which Clinton was running for U.S. President
This type of “electioneering communication” violated the Bipartisan Reform Act of 2002
Bipartisan Reform Act of barred corporations and unions from using their treasury funds to finance issue advertisements (sometimes called electioneering communications), which are defined as "broadcast ads referring to clearly identified federal candidates within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary election or caucus.“
Purpose:
Attempt to regulate "big money" campaign contributions, the BCRA applies a variety of restrictions to "electioneering communications." 

23. Citizens United v Federal Election Commission January 21, 2010 RULING
Majority maintained that political speech is indispensable to a democracy, which is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation. 
Dissenting Opinion argued that corporations are not members of society and that there are compelling governmental interests to curb corporations' ability to spend money during local and national elections.
US Supreme Court voted 5-4 that freedom of speech prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by a non-profit corporations

24. Citizens United v FEC Background: Citizens United v FEC
2 Perspectives on Citizens United
AGAINST
The Story of Citizens United v FEC
Obama: State of the Union Address 2010
FOR
Bell Ringer: Citizens United and the 1st Amendment

25. Super PACs
Super PACs came into existence in 2010 when federal court decisions found that limitations on both corporate and individual contributions is an unconstitutional violation of the 1st Amendment.
-- a PAC that is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, individuals and associations
-- the most important difference between a PAC and a Super PAC is in who can contribute and in how much they can give
-- candidates can accept up to 5K per election from a PAC; they cannot accept money from corporations, unions and associations
-- for Super PACs there is no limit on who contributes or how much they can contribute but they cannot work in conjunction with the candidate they are supporting

26. Top Ten PACs in Contributions to Federal Candidates
2014
1. National Association of Realtors Mixed 3.4 million
National Beer Wholesalers Ass’n Mixed 3.1 million
Honeywell International Rep million
Operating Engineers Union Dem million
Nat’l Auto Dealers Association Rep million
Lockheed Martin Mixed 2.5 million
American Bankers Association Rep million
Credit Union National Association Mixed 2.4 million
AT&T Rep million
Northrup Grumman Rep million

27. Professional Associations - PACs That Gave the Most to during the election cycle (millions of dollars)
Total
PAC amount Democrats Republicans
Operating Engineers Union % 14%
International Brotherhood of
Electrical Worker
AT&T
National Association of Realtors
Machinists-Aerospace Workers
American Association for Justice
American Bankers Association
National Beer Wholesalers
Association
Laborers Union
International Association of
Fire Fighters
Source: Center for Responsive Politics based on data released by the Federal Elections
Commission, April 28, 2008
According to AP: DNC raised $82.3 million, Republicans raised $166 million this campaign cycle. 27

28. Campaign Contributions