The Presidency and Interest Groups

1

• The Presidency and Interest Groups
• Session 43

2
Presidents and the Interest Group Community

• Presidents interaction with groups has increased
  since FDR
• Typology of interaction

3
The Typology

• But first, the terminology!
• Interest group liaison all communications
  between the interest group community and the
  various members of the presidential staff serving
  in the Executive Office of the President
• Public liaison various activities of the Office
  of Public Liaison which has the explicit mandate
  of conferring with groups
• Both can involve different types of presidential
  liaison strategies

4
Premises

• Interest groups seek access to the president to
  advance their objectives
• This access helps leaders convince members that
  they are effective
• Because so much real policy is constructed within
  the White House, access is precious

5
Premises (cont.)

• The president also wants something in exchange
  the fulfillment of his objectives
• President is limited by expectations for access
• President can set agenda and establish priorities
  so that he has control over who is chosen as
  collaborative partner

6
The Dimensions of the Typology

• In choice of strategy
• as a general rule and for policy episodes
• Breadth interaction can be inclusive or limited
  to only those groups that are ideologically
  compatible
• Exclusive a narrow range of congenial
  organizations
• Inclusive a more representative cross section
  of the interest group community

7

• Substantive Focus
• Programmatic focus policy motivations. The
  organizations are chosen for the help they
  provide in the legislative arena
• Representational focus political motivations.
  Represents a presidents desire to reinforce his
  political standing, either with his electoral
  coalition or with the interest group community
  more generally

8
The dimensions produce four ideal types . .
9
Decisions to be made beforehand . . .

• What does the president wish to accomplish?
  (What trade-offs must be made? What objectives
  are compatible? Is policy more important or is
  electoral standing more important?)
• How does he accomplish this? (What coalition is
  necessary?)
• Who should be on the team? (Personnel?)

10
Realization of the Types of Liaison

• Legitimization
• Organizational aspect of the effort to solidify
  the presidents image and prestige among the
  general public)
• Closely related to why the OPL was established
• Ford administration
• Public highlights the intention of employing
  interest group liaison to reach the broader
  public through the groups

11

• Legitimization (cont.)
• Ford lacked stature and legitimacy
• approached by a staff member to create this
  office
• Mired in Watergate, Vietnam, recession
• Not the lobbying arm of the president when it was
  created

12

• Consensus Building
• Inclusive, but for the purpose of legislative
  program
• The Early Johnson administration
• Johnson was programmatically oriented
• Legislation involved groups
• Johnson preferred harmony, not conflict so he
  wanted everyone on board

13

• Consensus (cont.)
• Programs themselves brought together disparate
  groups

14

• Outreach
• Providing representation to segments of the
  presidents political coalition that otherwise
  lack close ties to the government establishment.
  
• Carter an open presidency

15

• Governing Party
• Modern presidents create their own political
  parties. White House comes to resemble a party
  (a political party, not a party party) focused on
  programmatic goals
• Carter (again) used this strategy to work more
  effectively with Congress later in his presidency