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Chapter 11- Interest Groups

By: Alejandro Cabrera, Nathan Carino, Katelyn Denbow, Jameelah Destry, Jooyoung Chung

Interest Groups

Start

What is an interest group?

11.1

What led to their rise in America?

An interest group is "an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence public policy."

Interest Group Definition

There are four main factors to the rise of interest groups in America:

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"

Broad Economic Developments

Examples Include:

  • Farming
  • Craftspeople/Laborers

Why has regular political activity become necessary?

Factor #2: Government Policy

"Government policy itself helps to create interest groups"

Government Policy

Examples Include:

  • Veterans > Grand Army of the Republic
  • Farmers > American Farm Bureau Federation
  • Skilled Workers > Professional Societies

Factor #3 Political Leadership

Interest groups can't exist without leaders stepping up...

Political Leadership

  • Science Organizations (College-Educated)
  • Antiwar Organizations (Vietnam war protest)

Factor #4 Government Growth

As the government grows, so does the creation of organizations regarding public interest...

Government Influence

Examples:

  • Public-Interest Lobbies/Social Welfare Associations
  • USA Patriot Act and the Department of Homeland Security

What are the types of interest groups?

  • Economic: U.S Chamber of Congress
  • Government: National Governors Assoc.
  • Religious: Christian Coalition
  • Ideological: Americans for Democratic Action

11.2

Institutional Groups

Defined as "individuals or organizations representing other organizations".

Institutional Groups

  • The National Independent Retail Jewelers
  • National Association of Counties
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • American Cotton Manufacturers

Tends to focus on issues of central concern to clientele

Membership Groups

Defined as "groups supported by the individual members".

Membership Groups

  • Includes a group of people that join an interest group and unite under one cause.
  • Americans are more likely than Europeans to think "organized activity" is an effective way to influence government
  • Done through membership groups

How do they affect social movements?

Interest groups play large roles in motivating social movements.

11.3

Feminist Movement

Multiple interest groups have advocated for women's rights throughout US history

Solidarity Incentives

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

0-0:20, 1:40-1:50

Purposive Incentives

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

Material Benefits

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

Environmental Movement

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

Union Movement

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

Activities of Interest Groups, what they do?

11.4

Provides Facts

Information

*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

Not Influential. . .

They are not influential in . . .

Spotlight Issues

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

Influential In . . .

They are influential in . . .

Niche Issues

  • Most lobbying happens in small niche efforts to change small parts of the government

  • these narrow issues usually have one side lobbying, so it has all the resources and advantages

  • many issues are client politics

Earmarks are . . .

a provision in a law that gives direct benefit to a client without Congress having to review it . . . .

Earmarks

*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

The Evolution of Interest Groups . . . .

How Politics Evolved

*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

Insider Strategy

With the use of multitudes of modern technology like:

  • radio
  • fax machines
  • internet
  • satellite television
  • toll-free phone
  • mail

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}

Outsider Strategy

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/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimgflip.com%2Fi%2Fyugxc&psig=AOvVaw0c8gYFzDP21IvSVImFlohp&ust=1582150571501000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCPieyLSQ3OcCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAg

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

  • PAC's are easy to form
  • PAC's are numerous, so money is on every side of an issue
  • Congress members "expect" to get money from PAC's
  • PAC's are "required" to rise up in the congressional ranks in both parties

Money & PAC's

0:00-2:25

Topic

https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/mems.php

Recent Support

*>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"

---------------------------------------------------------

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

Disconnected & Connected PAC's

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 *

Money

Federal official does something for a corporation and in return, when that official leaves their job. They get a good job at the corporation.

The "Revolving Door"

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

Civil Disobedience

Acts of Civil Disobedience are public, disruptive displays like:

  • Protest marches
  • Sit-ins
  • Picketing
  • Violence

Lefts on the Political Spectrum are:

  • Antislavery agitators
  • Gay Rights Supporters
  • American Indian Movement

Rights on the Political Spectrum are:

  • Kl Klux Klan (KKK)
  • Anti-Immigrants, Jews, Blacks, Minorities, Catholics, and etc

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

How is their political activity limited?

11.5

-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

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act

-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

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

-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

New definition

The act required that lobbyists report the following:

-Names of their clients

-Income and projects

-Issues they worked on

Required statistics

Democratic control over Congress (2006)

-Introduced new regulations

  • Registered lobbyists and firms that employ lobbyists cannot give out valuable gifts and do not receive reimbursement (for travel costs

-Not very effective due to loopholes

Democrats take back Congress in 2006

Campaign

Finance Laws

-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

United States vs. Harriss

United States v. Harris

The Constitution protects the lobbying of Congress

but the government can require information from groups that are trying to influence legislation

Citations

Link to work cited page:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gH8e7g95CBx8sKMVD_RA-cLjr5CBQa2ySCh13P3LxXU/edit?usp=sharing

Sources

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