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Interest Groups: Definitions  An organization of people who enter the political process to try and achieve their shared goals (Herzog and Wood, 2009)

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Presentation on theme: "Interest Groups: Definitions  An organization of people who enter the political process to try and achieve their shared goals (Herzog and Wood, 2009)"— Presentation transcript:

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2 Interest Groups: Definitions  An organization of people who enter the political process to try and achieve their shared goals (Herzog and Wood, 2009)  A set of individuals who are organized to promote a shared political interest (Patterson, 2005)

3 Types of Membership  Institutional  businesses, corporations, universities, foundations, governments  Individual  groups that represent individuals (NOW, NAACP, NRA, Christian Coalition)

4 Interest Groups v. Political Parties  Parties nominate candidates for office  Parties focus on a broad range of issues  Parties compete for control over legislative and executive branches; interest groups compete over influence over elected oficials

5 PACs and 527s  PACs (political action committees)  fundraising portion of an individual interest group  Increased significantly since the Campaign Reform Act of 1974 which limited individual contributions to candidates  About 4000, most represent corporations or business interests  527s  “tax-exempt organizations created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment, or defeat of candidates for public office”(Herzog and Wood, 2009, p. 103)  Not regulated by the FEC

6 Types of Interest Groups  Economic Groups  Business Groups  Chamber of Commerce  Labor Groups   Agricultural Groups   Professional Groups   Advantages of Economic Groups  Access to financial resources  Material incentives (private goods) vs. purposive incentives (public goods)

7 Types of Interest Groups  Non-Economic Groups (Purposive Incentives)  Public Interest Groups  work for best interests of the public; consumer advocacy groups, League of Women Voters, Common Cause  Single Issue Groups  NRA, Sierra Club  Ideological Groups  broad agenda deriving from a philosophical or moral position(Equality and Justice Interests)  NOW, NAACP, Christian Coalition

8 Governments as Interest Groups  Foreign governments hire lobbyists, but can’t contribute money to elections  States (individual as well as Council of State Governments, National Governors Conference)  Cities (individual as well as U.S. Conference of Mayors)

9 Interest Group Funding  Direct solicitations   Federal grants and contracts   Foundation grants (especially public interest groups) 

10 Tactics of Interest Groups  Lobbying  Electioneering  Litigation  Appealing to the Public  The “ratings game”

11 Interest Group Theory  Madisonian Dilemma  Elite Theory  Pluralist Theory  Hyperpluralism

12 Regulation of Interest Groups  Regulation of Lobbying Act 1946  Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974  Ethics in Government Act 1978  Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1995  Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)  Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007)

13 Characteristics of an Effective Interest Group  Size   Intensity   Financial Resources 

14 Interest Group Influence  Iron triangles  Issue networks  Revolving door

15 Interest Group Proliferation  Characteristics of American Government (more points of access)  Characteristics of American Parties  Characteristics of American Elections


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