1. Campaign Finance & Interest Groups
(How outside interests affect elections & politics)

2. Campaign Finance…

3. How do candidates finance their campaigns?
Ways are established by Congress & SCOTUS
Lots of changes recently!
Federal Election Commission (FEC) est – executive dept that administers federal election law & monitors campaign spending
Candidates must disclose spending

4. Sources of Money Most campaign money comes from private sources
Individual citizens
Corporations
Interest groups
PACs (Political Action Committees): political org. est. by interest group to support a candidate with money
Interest groups cannot give $ directly to candidates so the PACs donate on their behalf

5. Citizens United decision (2010)
SCOTUS case
Court decided that political spending is protected under the 1st Amendment (free speech) & corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money on political activities as long as it is independent of a political candidate
“superPACs” that give unlimited contributions as long as it doesn’t “coordinate message” with the candidate
Super PACs explained: pacs-explained-katie-couric html

6. Interest Groups

7. What are interest groups?
Organization of people with common interests that try to influence public policy
How are interest groups different from political parties?

8. Types of Interest Groups
Business groups (big businesses, etc)
Labor unions (ex: bricklayers, carpenters, etc…)
Economic interests (insurance, etc…)
Professional organizations (teachers, etc.)
Special issues (NRA, abortion, etc.)
Public-interest groups (environment, etc)

9. Influencing Public Policy
Lobbying
Lobbyists are paid by interest groups to pressure individuals in D.C.
Lobbyists must report who they’re working for/ amnt of $ they spend
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Propaganda (coming next time…)

10. What are the good and bad of interest groups?
Come up with 2 pros (good things) and 2 cons (bad things) of interest groups.