1. INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 9 Ms Windows
AP GOVERNMENT
INTEREST GROUPS
Chapter 9
Ms Windows

2. What is an Interest Group?
A group of individuals with common interests and seek to influence the government in some way (“Special Interests”)
Issue Advocacy
James Madison called them “factions”

3. How does an Interest Group begin?
USUALLY an interest group begins as a movement
Examples-abolitionists, civil rights, women’s rights, animal rights, etc.
Movements start b/c people want their voices heard by _______________ ?

4. Types of Interest Groups
Economic (including Prof Assoc)
Ideological
Single Issue
Public Interest
Foreign Policy
Government Itself
Not all interest groups are mutually exclusive-some overlap into different types

5. 1. Economic Interest Groups
Businesses-large corporations (one person to large conglomerates)
McD’s, Coke, AT&T, Microsoft, Amazon
Trade & Other Associations -businesses with similar interest join together.
Chambers of Commerce

6. Workers associations or Labor unions
Represent workers’ interests
Membership is low in the US compared to other industrialized countries
Although entire work force increases, membership has decreased in last 60 years. WHY?
ALF-CIO has many unions, IBEW

7. Open Shop -membership in union is not required as a condition of employment
Closed Shop -must join a union to work
Either case, union negotiates for the workers
Free Riders -get what is negotiated for but do not join union

8. Right to Work States (Open Shop)

9. Professional Associations-Professionals form of a union.
Can be national or state
American Bar Association, National Education Association, AMA

10. 2. GOVERNMENT Interest Groups
Government employees want to be organized and heard
National Governors Association, National Conference of Mayors, National Education Association
Try to get federal grants!

11. 3. IDEOLOGICAL IGs
Ideological-specific political views or set of issues
MARXISTS, SOCIALISTS
Civil Liberties, environment, nuclear disarmament
ACLU, Christian Coalition

12. 4. Single Issue IGs Single Issue (more specific)
Very adamant about position (right or left) and unwilling to compromise
NRA (2nd Amend), Abortion --Emily’s List (PAC) v. Right to Life

13. 5. PUBLIC Interest Groups
“for the public interest”
Common Cause -to reform the electoral process
Ralph Nader-PIRGs promote environmental issues, safe energy, consumer protection, good gov’t

14. Certain types of public interest groups are tax-exempt
Girl Scouts, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society
Benefits-donations tax-deductible, donors can remain anonymous
Cannot support candidates or elections but can do what?
Voter registration drives and issue ads

15. FOREIGN POLICY Interest Groups
To promote or oppose certain foreign policies
Council on Foreign Relations, American-Israel Political Action Committee, National Association of Arab Americans
What would NAAA lobby for now?

16. CHARACTERISTICS of Interest Groups
1. Size and Resources -the more, the better!
Motivations to join-incentives (material or otherwise)
What is the membership “spread”? Are the members concentrated in one area or dispersed?

17. 2. COHESIVENESS -How is the membership organized?
Small # of leaders who have formal positions (full or part-time); OR
People involved in the group do all the leg work; OR
People are members in name only (no participation)

18. How is the organization structured?
Strong, formal organization
Local groups that join together to form national group

19. 3. Leadership -Strong or Weak?
4. Techniques -Methods they use to influence people and government
Publicity/Mass Media Appeal
Mass Mailing
Influence Rule Making
Litigation--USING THE COURT SYSTEM!
Election Activities
Forming Political Parties
Lobbying
Cooperative Lobbying (power in #s)

20. TYPES OF INCENTIVES
Solidary incentives – sense of pleasure, status, or companionship (PTA, NAACP)
Material incentives – money, services, things valued in monetary terms (AARP)
Purposive incentives – the appeal of the group’s goals (ideological, public-interest)

21. What are Lobbyists?
Employees of an association that try to influence policy decisions and positions in the government
Revolving Door - moving from a government job to a lobbying job (common-good contacts already made)
A former gov’t worker cannot directly lobby their former agency or office

22. What do Lobbyists do?
Helps provide money for members of Congress for their next campaign
Provide two types of information: Political (who supports what) and Substantive (impact of proposed legislation)

23. Revolving Doors produce networks of people involved with certain issues. These networks are called IRON TRIANGLES or issue networks.
Mutually supporting relationships among interest groups, congressional committees, and gov’t agencies

24. Iron Triangle or Issue Network
Congressional
Committee
Corporations
Or gov’t
contractors
Gov’tal
Agency

25. What are PACs?
Political Action Committee is the political part of an interest group
Can legally raise money for candidates or political parties from members, stockholders, or employees (of interest group)
in number when the Campaign Reform Act 1974 limited individual contributions (over 4000 today)
Individual candidates set up PACS – Sarah Palin

26. How PACs Invest their Money
PACs invest in influential candidates (the Speaker, committee chairs)
PACs also give to important minority members because they never know when the balance switches in the House and Senate

27. PAC LIMITS
Federal Elections Campaign Act (1971) limits PACs to $5000 per election or $10,000 per election cycle (primary and general election)
OFT MONEY -PACs have no limits to contributions made to a political party for party-building purposes

28. Effectiveness of PACs
Individuals can only contribute $2400 while a PAC can give $5000
“Bundling” helps PACs get around the limits
Help campaigns through phone calls, mailings, and television
Issue Advocacy-promote or oppose a particular issue in the campaign

29. 527 Groups Tax-exempt organizations created to influence elections
Not subjected to the same restrictions as PACs
Texans for Truth, America Coming Together

30. FEC and Interest Groups
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act 2002 (McCain-Feingold Act)
Purpose to control $ that comes into federal campaigns and provide transparency for the $ collected
McConnell v. FEC (2003) – 527 groups exempt especially for non-partisan issues, no regulation of internet ads

31. Honest Leadership & Open Govt Act (2007)
FEC developed regulations to limit the workings of lobbyists
lobbyists would bundle $ for a candidate
PACs now need to disclose lobbyists who bundle funds