SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

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SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
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Explaining Proliferation

• Proliferation the growing or increase.
• Special Interest groups (factions)- an
  organization of people sharing a common interest.
• Why are they common?
• We are diverse in every aspect.
• The federal system of government makes change at
  various levels possible.
• Weak political parties.

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Why Interest Groups?

• Many added after the 1960s and 70s.
• Our economy changed, as it expands and changes
  new needs arise.
• Government policies (like war) can produce
  interest groups.
• Leadership (Evelyns Nader).
• The more the government sticks its nose into the
  public and private lives of citizens, the more
  people want to protect their interests.

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Institutional Interests

• Groups with large amounts of money that pay for
  lawyers or groups to lobby for their interests.
• Usually large businesses, but can also be higher
  education, or local governments.
• Washington has over 38,000 blood sucking lawyers!

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Membership Interest Groups

• In comparison to other nations, Americans have a
  stronger sense of civic duty, or a stronger sense
  of protecting their own interests. Usual this
  takes place during or as a response to a social
  movement.
• NAACP
• AARP (old people)
• Environmental
• Sierra Club
• Feminists
• NOW National Organization for Women or
• ERA Equal Rights Amendment
• Unions
• CTA (me)

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Why Join an Interest Group?

• Solidary Incentives looking good and hanging
  out with your peeps.
• Material Incentives
• Newsletters
• Insurance
• discounts
• Purposive Incentives
• (ideological interests groups)
• Public-interests
• Nader!

Thats me.
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Getting the Dough!

• Foundation Grants
• Most interest groups get over 50 of their funds
  from foundation grants.
• Federal Grants and Contracts
• The government gives a grant not to the interest
  group, but to a project that they are involved
  in.
• Social Services and community projects.
• Direct Mail
• Using the mail, internet, or phone to get people
  to join and pay dues, or to send money to help
  the organization
• Save the animals gets me every time.

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What Do These People Do All Day Long?

• Gathering and supplying information
• They need to be up to date on all the latest
  research and developments.
• Ratings
• How other representatives have voted in the past
  will determine how he or she will likely vote
  again.
• Political Cues
• Will it support the agenda of a representative?
• Is it too liberal or too conservative?
• Will others vote for it?
• What moral or ethical implications will this
  have?

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The Outsider Strategy

• Gone are the days when you golf with your
  congressional buddy and give him a cigar in
  exchange for a vote.
• Now you have to
• Use public pressure to make him/her sweat.
• Use technology to gain immediate support on an
  issue.
• This works best on high profile stuff.
• Grassroots lobbying

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The Insider Strategy

• Work closely with a few legislators that trust
  you.
• Stay away from people who think you are a lying
  crazy person.
• Spend most of your time with the undecided
  people.
• Use polls, and grassroots lobbying to gain their
  support through the overwhelming, probably
  incredibly biased, evidence you are giving them.

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Does Money Make A Difference?

• Maybe.
• Most PACs give only hundreds to each candidate.
• Because it isnt that much, it really doesnt
  dictate policy.
• How much you spend may not be as important as
  your catchy slogans and strategy.
• You wouldnt have catchy slogans and a strategy
  without money.

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Sneaky, Self-Serving People

• Because government pay is horrible, many people
  leave to go to the private sector so they can
  make millions.
• How do we know they didnt use their position in
  government to get cushy private jobs?
• This is illegal, but happens all the time.
• 1978 Ethics in Government Act (see page 285)

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Regulating Interest Groups

• Protected under the Freedom of Speech.
• 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, revised
  in 1995
• Gave a definition to people considered lobbyists.
• Two a year, all registered lobbyists must report
• The names of their clients
• Their income and expenditures.
• The issues that they worked with.
• Only requires federal lobbyists to adhere to the
  above.
• Campaign Finance Laws
• Limits contributions to political candidates to
  5,000.
• Religious groups have been limited by the IRS to
  keep their tax exemption.