1. Interest Groups

2. Definition
Interest groups are organizations that are dedicated to a particular political goal or a set of unified goals
Members share a common bond
Ex:
Religious (Christian Coalition)
Environmental (Sierra Club)
Racial (NAACP)
Professional (American Medical Assoc)

3. Interest groups try to influence the outcomes of elections and legislation
When they try to influence the passage of legislation, that is called lobbying.
Most lobbyists are highly paid professionals
Some are former legislators who have experience and friendships with legislators still on the Hill.

4. Types of Interest Groups
Economic interest groups
Types:
Labor unions
Groups that represent trades or industries (ex: farming, nuclear energy)
Professional groups (Amer. Med. Assoc., (AMA), Nat. Educ. Assoc (NEA))
Most have existed for awhile
Most are well funded
They are usually the most powerful interest groups

5. Public Interest Groups
Non-profit
Organized around public policy issues
Some are consumer groups
Some are religious groups
Others promote causes like women’s rights, minority rights, etc.
MADD, Common Cause, etc.

6. Groups that Promote Causes
Specific causes:
ACLU, NRA
Welfare of specific groups of people:
AARP, NAACP, VFW
Religion-related causes:
National Council of Churches, American Jewish Congress

7. Government Interest Groups
Local and state governments also engage in lobbying
Several states, counties and large cities have offices in DC in order to do this
They lobby to get grants and money for their areas

8. Ways Interest Groups Influence Gov’t
1) Direct lobbying – representatives meet privately with gov’t officials to suggest legislation and present arguments
2) Testifying before Congress – provide expert witnesses at committee hearings
3) Socializing – hold and attend social functions to create relationships
4) Political donations – provide financial support to candidates and parties

9. 5) Endorsements – announce support for a specific candidate
6) Court action – file lawsuits or class action suits to protect or advance their interests
Also submit amicus curiae briefs – so judges may consider their advice in matters of law that directly affect the case in question

10. 7) Rallying their membership – engage in grassroots campaigning by asking members to write, phone or their legislators to support or prevent a program or law
Also engage in rallies or demonstrations
8) Propaganda – send out press releases and run advertisements promoting their views
China Ad

11. Incentives to Join Solidary Incentives:
Provide a sense of pleasure, status or companionship
Usually gained from face-to-face contact
National organizations have to organize small local organizations to achieve this
PTA, NAACP, American Legion are all good at this

12. Material Incentive: Comes in the form of money or services
Farm Bureau – farm supplies at low prices, low-cost insurance
AARP – low-cost insurance, discount drugs
1 out of 4 registered voters belongs to AARP
Operating budget of $200 million

13. Purposive Incentive: The appeal of the groups stated goals
People believe strongly in those goals
May have a strong sense of duty
Most difficult and controversial

14. Interest Groups and Social Movements
Many interest groups have arisen out of social movements
Social movement = widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order
Ex:
Civil rights movement
Environmental movement
Women’s rights movement
Gay rights movement

15. Unsure why social movements develop
One minute, the public is perfectly fine with things, the next minute, they are not
Possibly triggered by a scandal, disaster, or widely publicized activities

16. Funds for Interest Groups
Hard to raise money
Some groups have more trouble than others
Four sources of money:
1) membership dues (usually not enough)
2) foundation grants – provides most of the money for public interest groups
Ex:
Ford Foundation
Rockefeller Family Fund

17. 3) federal grants and contracts
Gov’t doesn’t give money to support lobbying
It gives money to support a project that the organization has undertaken
Ex:
Clean up oil spills
Provide for summer youth groups
4) direct mail
Can target specific audiences
Taylor-made to appeal to specific groups

18. This costs money, so it has to be appealing
Appealing techniques include:
1) a “teaser” on the outside so it won’t be thrown away
2) arouse emotions – portray a threat of some kind
3) get an endorsement from someone famous
4) personalize the letter with the recipient’s name

19. Bias Many believe interest groups reflect an upper-class bias Reasons:
1) well-off people are more likely to join than poor
2) groups that represent business and professions are better funded and more numerous than those representing minorities, consumers or the disadvantaged

20. PACs
Campaign finance reform in the 1970’s led to the formation of Political Action Committees
Kind of like the political part of an interest group
When the interest group wants to go an extra step and support a specific candidate or party, they have to create a PAC

21. Federal law regulates PACS:
They must register with the federal gov’t
They must raise money from at least 50 contributors
They must donate to at least 5 different candidates (no more than $5,000 per year per candidate (hard money), or $15,000 per year per party (soft money))
Corps, unions, and trade association PACS MUST raise money from employees and members and not just take from their treasury

22. Super PACs
Created in 2010
Make no contributions to candidates or parties
They DO run ads or send mail, etc with messages that specifically advocate the election or defeat of a specific candidate
No limits or restrictions on funds
Must file financial reports with the FEC

23. 527 Groups
A 527 is a tax-exempt organization that promotes a political agenda
They CANNOT expressly support or oppose a specific candidate
They are not regulated by the FEC
No subject to the same contribution limits as PAC
There is a fine line between a PAC and 527
Forming a 527 is a way to get around the hard money limits from McCain-Feingold