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Interest Groups
An interest group is "an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence public policy."
There are four main factors to the rise of interest groups in America:
Factor #1: Broad Economic Developments
"Economic developments create new interests or redefine old ones"
Examples Include:
Why has regular political activity become necessary?
Factor #2: Government Policy
Examples Include:
Factor #3 Political Leadership
Interest groups can't exist without leaders stepping up...
Factor #4 Government Growth
As the government grows, so does the creation of organizations regarding public interest...
Examples:
Defined as "individuals or organizations representing other organizations".
Tends to focus on issues of central concern to clientele
Defined as "groups supported by the individual members".
Interest groups play large roles in motivating social movements.
Multiple interest groups have advocated for women's rights throughout US history
Groups that enroll upper/middle-class women with high levels of education (groups with highest levels of support among women), offering social status to members
EX. League of Women Voters and Federation of Business and Professional Women
Sometimes have lots of partisan infighting and may refuse to take stances on controversial issues
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Groups that attract people who are more die-hard into the cause
EX. National Organization of Women, NARAL Pro-Choice America
Take stances on controversial issues
May be divided between extreme and moderate members
May be differences between national organization and local affiliates
Smaller than other groups
Groups aiming to get tangible benefits for women (money, career advancements, etc.)
Tend to be professional associations
EX. U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce, National Organization for Women Legal Defense Fund
Mainly rely on purposive incentives
Movement came to the forefront when issues got onto the political agenda, ex. conservation in the 1890's, 1930's, and 60's-70's
EX. National Wildlife Foundation, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund
Smaller the group, the more liberal it is
(vice versa)
Environmental movement is now divided into factions
Main union movement was 1930's during Great Depression (In 1945, 36% of all non-farm workers were labor union members)
Since then, it has declined
11% of workers are union members today
They survive by relying on non-purposive incentives
More public sector unions now
*Lobbyists give credible information legislators and bureaucrats, they specialize in the information so the legislators don't have to
* information is not easy to access
*information is on the policy and political consequences because . . . they want to make good policies to be reelected again
*they exaggerate info, but keep it accurate
*various groups lobby like unions, business, branches of government (inter-lobbying government), and universities
- 3/4 of all lobbying happens in business organizations and trade organizations examples: Sierra Club
*provide political cues, that are known by ratings which lobbyists give to legislators
High salient issues ARE issues like:
Obamacare
Immigration Reform
Gun Control
Keystone XL
*many lobbyists work on major bills, but 1 or 2 lobbyists work on a single issue
*they have little influence on big issues because legislators have their own ideology and constituents to please
a provision in a law that gives direct benefit to a client without Congress having to review it . . . .
*a lobbyists gather information on people in D.C. to sell to their clients
*common in the 1970s and up because the government started to do more, which affect more people in society
* Earmarks were banned in 2011, but interest groups and legislates learned to work around it
*When the government was small and less technological, lobbyists used a strategy called insider strategy
*Since the government has become larger, individualistic, and more technological. Lobbyists started using another strategy called outsider strategy
lobbyists or interest groups connect closely with members of Congress to exchange info and favors
With the use of multitudes of modern technology like:
Interests groups use a technique called grassroots lobbying to use the public to contact government officials about policy
{that "public" are the people directly affected or deeply concerned about government policy}
https://heavy.com/news/2015/10/cnn-democratic-debate-dem-debate-demdebate-2016-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-martin-omalley-jim-webb-lincoln-chafee-joe-biden-feel-the-bern-best-funny-memes-quotes-jokes/2/
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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmakeameme.org%2Fmeme%2Fsigns-a-pledge&psig=AOvVaw0c8gYFzDP21IvSVImFlohp&ust=1582150571501000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCPieyLSQ3OcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAm
PAC's stands for Political Action Committees:
Groups that collect political donations and make campaign contributions to candidates for office
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https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php
*>5,700 PAC's today, much of the growth comes from leadership PAC's and super PAC's
* headed by a member of Congress who raise money for other candidates
* "independent spending-only committee"
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Leadership PACs = nonconnected PACs
*organized around specfic ideological views or an prominent Congress member
*can gather money from the public
Most PAC's are traditional connected PAC's which are . . . .
*connected to a certain coportation, labor union, trade association, or membeship organization
*can only gather funds from individuals from organizations listed above
Money is the least effective way interest groups advance their cause, media and public presences influences more
*powerful interest used to sway Congress members to buy influence till the early 1970s
1) individuals give more $$$ than interest groups
{PAC's contributions are small and limited}
2) PAC's support many candidates and provide "equal" donations to each
3)PAC's contributions are a way for interest groups to access members *
They have access through $$$ donations, but have little influence or effect on a legislator's vote *
Federal official does something for a corporation and in return, when that official leaves their job. They get a good job at the corporation.
People worry that interest groups can gain a hand in influencing government decisions using "The Revolving Door":
There's scandals between department officials and industry executives,
but there is no fixed data on the issue
Acts of Civil Disobedience are public, disruptive displays like:
Lefts on the Political Spectrum are:
Rights on the Political Spectrum are:
Making "trouble" is a political resource that can . . . .
1)Disrupts institutions to force them to negotiate with you
2) Causes sympathy from third parties, like interest groups or the media, who can provide aid and pressure
3) Goad police to do arrests and attacks . . . . to create martyrs
-Interest group activity is protected by the first amendment
(Can't be forbidden)
-Multiple instances in history where the government attempted to limit to powers of interest groups
-Varying results to each
-Requires groups and individuals to register with the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House and make quarterly financial reports in order to be able to affect legislature.
-Had little effect
-Redefined the definition of a lobbyist
-Requires lobbyists to report on various statistics
-Grassroots lobbying (lobbying in which the general public helps to influence legislature) is not subject to these new regulations
-Violations can be punished with fines of up to $50,000
A lobbyist is now redefined as:
-Someone who spends at least 20% of their time lobbying
-Someone who is paid at least $5,000 over six months to lobby
-A group that spends at least $20,000 to lobby within six months
The act required that lobbyists report the following:
-Names of their clients
-Income and projects
-Issues they worked on
-Introduced new regulations
-Not very effective due to loopholes
-Limits monetary contributions to campaigns
-Each interest group can only establish one PAC
-PACs must register 6 months ahead of time, have at least 50 contributors and give to at least 5 candidates.
-PACs can only contribute a maximum of $5,000 to a candidate or $15,000 to a political party
The Constitution protects the lobbying of Congress
but the government can require information from groups that are trying to influence legislation
Link to work cited page:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gH8e7g95CBx8sKMVD_RA-cLjr5CBQa2ySCh13P3LxXU/edit?usp=sharing