Interest Groups AP Government Unit 4

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Interest Groups AP GovernmentUnit 4
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What is an Interest Group??

• An interest group is an organization made up of
  people who share common objectives and who
  actively attempt to influence government
  policymakers through direct and indirect
  methods.
• Interest Group is an organization of people with
  similar policy goals that tries to influence the
  political process to try to achieve those goals.

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What do Interest Groups do?

• Try to influence public policy
• Lobbyists try and persuade public officials to
  believe a specific view
• Every branch and every level of government is
  affected by interest groups

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The Roots and Development of American Interest
Groups

• National Groups Emerge (1830-80)
• Progressive Era (1890-1920)
• Organized Labor the American Federation of
  Labor (AFL) (1886)
• Business and Trade Associations The National
  Association of Manufacturers (NAM) (1895)
• The Rise of the Interest Group State (1960s and
  1970s)
• Religious and Ideological Groups
• Business Groups, Trade and Professional
  Associations
• Organized Labor

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The Development of American Interest Groups

• Interest groups have been part of the American
  political landscape since the countrys founding.
  
• James Madison in Federalist 10 argued for a
  proliferation of groups so that no one group
  could get hegemony over the other groups.
• The open nature of the American government
  invites organized political participation.

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Interest Groups should

• Promote interest in public affairs
• Provide useful information
• Serve as watchdogs
• Represent the interest of Citizens

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Why People Join Interest Groups

• Solidary Incentives
• For the social contacts
• League of Women Voters, NAACP, PTSA, American
  Legion
• Material Incentives
• For economic reasons
• AARP, Farmers Groups, Labor Unions
• Purposive Incentives
• For moral causes / crusades
• Right to-Life, Pro-Choice, Greenpeace

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Who Joins Interest Groups?

• Upper class interest groups- Big Business
• More affluent join and are active
• White collar workers
• Professional groups
• Working class interest groups- Big Labor
• Labor unions have been very powerful in past
• The AFL-CIO broke up in 2004, cutting big labors
  power

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Political Parties vs. Interest Groups

• Political Parties
• Nominate candidates
• What to win elections
• Concerned with many issues

• Interest Groups
• Dont nominate
• Want to influence policies
• Concerned with one issue

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Economic Interest Groups

• Most interest groups are based on economics
• Businesses (create favorable environment for
  business to prosper)
• Agriculture (work for price supports from govt,
  but also limit govt influence)
• Labor (Call public attention to the legitimate
  needs of working people. Accomplishments
  eight-hour work day child labor laws minimum
  wage laws ...workplace health safety laws)
• Professional (protect and advance their
  professional field -- to do this, they...publish
  journalsgive awards for excellence
  ...communicate their opinions to govt officials)

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Other Types

• Cause-based
• (National Wildlife Federation, League of Women
  Voters, National Rifle Association, MADD)
• Concerned with the welfare of people
• (AARP senior citizens, NAACP African
  Americans)
• Religious Organizations
• (Christian Coalition, American Jewish Congress)

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Honest Lobbyists

• A lobbyist must be honest and truthful if he or
  she wants to remain effective.
• Access to lawmakers is critical and if a lobbyist
  gets a reputation of being untruthful or
  disingenuous legislators doors will close.
• Good lobbyists will also make lawmakers aware of
  the downsides of a bill and the arguments on the
  other side as well.
• And I have some swamp land in Florida for sale?

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Lobbyists

• A Lobbyist is someone whose task it is to
  influence legislation or policymaking
• Lobbyists are hired by
• Businesses
• Trade associations
• Colleges or universities
• Foreign countries
• Anyone else wanting their voice heard on policy
  matters (Health issues, parent issues)

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Interest Group Techniques

• Direct Techniques
• Lobby at Capitol Hill
• Have private meetings
• Meet at social occasions
• Testify at hearings
• Drafting legislation
• Providing political info
• Supply nomination suggestions

• Indirect Techniques
• Generating Public Pressure
• Use public pressure on hot button issues
• Use constituents to call lawmakers
• Build alliances with other groups

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Interest Groups have been criticized for

• Ignoring the wider interest of society
• Producing confusion and deadlock in Congress
• Generating so much emotion that they make
  reasoned discussion difficult
• Having too much influence

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What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

• Leaders having a prominent leader aids in the
  reputation of the group and enhances a group's
  ability to attain its goals.
• Patrons and Funding funding is critical.
  Without money, it is hard to get your message
  out.
• Members a group must have members to be
  successful. Organizing members allows for
  strength in numbers and pooling of financial
  support.

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Important Interest Groups to Know

• AARP- American Association of Retired persons
• NRA- National Rifle Association
• ACLU- American Civil Liberties Union
• NAACP- National Association for the Advancement
  of Colored People
• Sierra Club- Environmental advocate group
• AFL-CIO- American Federation of Labor

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Others- and Links!

• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
• National Coalition for the Homeless
• National Education Association (NEA)
• National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition
• National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
• National Organization for Women (NOW)
• National Recycling Coalition
• National Resources Defense Council
• National Right to Life
• National Rifle Association
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
• National Water Resources Association
• Nuclear Waste Citizens Coalition
• Office Professional Employees International
  Union (OPEIU)
• PeaceNet
• People For the American Way
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
• Physicians for a National Health Program

• AFL-CIO
• Alliance for Justice
• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
  
• American Association for Affirmative Action
  (AAAA)
• American Association for People with Disabilities
  (AAPD)
• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
• American Association of University Women (AAUW)
• American Bankers Association (ABA)
• American Bar Association
• American Civil Liberties Union
• American Chemical Society
• American Conservative Union
• American Farm Bureau Federation
• American Federation of State, County, and
  Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• American Hellenic Educational Progressive
  Association (AHEPA)
• American Israel Public Affairs Committee
• American Legion
• American Petroleum Institute

• GreenNet (environmental)
• Greenpeace International
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hollywood Women's Political Committee - HWPC
• International Association of Machinists
  Aerospace Workers
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• International Union of Bricklayers Allied
  Craftworkers
• LaborNet
• League of Conservation Voters
• League of Women Voters' Voter Education Project
• Majority '96
• Militia Watchdog
• National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action
  League (NARAL)
• National Air Traffic Controllers Association
• National Association for the Advancement of
  Colored People (NAACP)
• National Association for Public Interest Law
• National Association of Arab Americans
• National Association of Baby Boomers
• National Association of Broadcasters

• ConflictNet
• Concord Coalition
• Congressional Accountability Project
• Contract with America
• Bowling Green State University Coalition Against
  the Contract
• "Contract on America" (book by Ann-Marie Rosato)
• Council for Responsible Genetics
• Death Penalty Information Center
• EcoNet
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• EMILY's List
• Empower America
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Family Farm Alliance
• Federation For American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
  
• Feminist Majority Foundation Online
• Friends of the Earth
• Fund for Constitutional Government
• Generation X Coalition

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Political Action Committees

• PACS are the so-called political arms of
  interest groups
• Support candidates with campaign money
• ½ sponsored by corporations 1/10 by unions
• 1/3 liberal and 2/3 conservative (2001)
• Incumbents get most PAC money
• The revolving door
• PACS hire former members of Congress to lobby
  their old friends, committees, etc
• This is legal but Is this Ethical???

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Where does ALL the Come From??

• Member dues
• Federal grants
• Direct mail appeals for cash
• Internet sites
• Dinners and fundraisers

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Money Limits

• Individuals can give up to 2000 to a candidate
  but PACS can give 10,000 to a candidate
• Federal money will match presidential campaign
  money but.
• Parties need at least 5 of vote in previous year
  for presidential candidate to receive funds
• If that doesnt happen you need PACs!!!

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Interest Group Mantra If you give you shall
receive!!
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And now for a bit of fun.
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