Interest Groups

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Chapter 8

• Interest Groups

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What is an Interest Group?

• an organized group of individuals
• who share common goals or objectives
• who attempt to influence policymakers in all
  three branches of government, and at all levels

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Why Do People Join Interest Groups?

• Solidary incentives --the desire to associate
  with others and to share a particular interest or
  hobby
• Material incentives motivated by economic
  benefits or opportunities
• Purposive incentives a motive having to do with
  ethical beliefs or ideological principles

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Types of Interest Groups

• Economic Interest Groups
• Environmental Interest Groups
• Public Interest Groups
• Special Interest Groups

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Economic Interest Groups Formed to promote
economic interests

• Public Employee represent employees of
  governments, including the American Federation of
  State, County, and Municipal Employees and
  teachers
• Interest Groups of Professionals Advocate for
  professional associations, like the American Bar
  Association and the AMA

• Business business and trade organizations that
  attempt to influence government policy to their
  benefit
• Agricultural advocate for farm interests
• enjoy disproportionate influence
• Labor groups that represent the working class
  interests

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Environmental Interests Groups that advocate
for pro-environmental policies

• the Sierra Club
• the National Audubon Society
• the Nature Conservancy

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Public Special Interest Groups

• Public Interest Groups groups that advocate the
  interests of the collective, overall community
• Nader organizations -- organizations organized
  under the leadership of consumer activist Ralph
  Nader

• Special Interest Groups narrowly focused
  interest groups.
• Examples include abortion interest groups and
  groups that advocate for individuals who share a
  racial, ethnic or age association

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Interest Group Strategies Direct Techniques

• Lobbying meeting officials and attempting to
  convince of your position on an issue Lobbying
  also entails
• testifying before congressional committees
• testifying before executive rulemaking agencies
• assisting in the drafting of legislation
• entertaining legislators
• providing information to legislators
• assisting in nominating individuals to government
  posts

• Ratings scoring legislators based on their
  votes in congress, then making interested
  constituents aware of those scores
• Campaign Assistance providing workers for
  political campaigns
• Political Action Committees a committee that
  raises money and gives donation on behalf of
  organizations to political candidates or
  political parties.

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Interest Group Strategies Indirect Techniques

• Generating Public Pressure trying to influence
  the government by using public opinion on an
  issue
• Using Constituents as Lobbyists
• shotgun approach means having large numbers of
  constituents act in concert by writing, emailing,
  phoning or sending postcards to a legislator
• rifle approach involves having an influential
  constituent contact a legislator on a particular
  issue
• Building Alliances forming alliances with other
  diverse groups who share a policy goal

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Attempts at Regulating Lobbyists

• Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
• provided for public disclosure
• failed because it did not have an enforcement
  mechanism
• United States v. Harriss (1954) confirmed the
  constitutionality of the Legislative
  Reorganization Act
• Some regulations on lobbying passed in 1995-96
  include
• defining lobbyist as anyone who spends 20
  percent of his/her time lobbying members of
  congress, congressional staffs, or executive
  branch officials
• requiring lobbyists to register with the
  Secretary of the House or clerk of the Senate
• requiring semiannual reports on the nature of
  lobbying activities