Affecting Public Policy Lobbying Chap. 18, Section II

Goal  I’d like you to be able to understand how interest groups use lobbyists to attempt to influence elections, get favorable laws passed, and attempt to gain public support.

What Do Interest Groups Do?  Some are non-political  Political Interest Groups:  increase representation and participation  increase public awareness about important issues  help frame the public agenda  monitor programs to guarantee effective implementation  engage in lobbying and election activities

Lobbying  Congress  through research, money, or testimony  Testimony is the technique most often used Testimony is the technique most often used  The executive branch  The courts  through sponsorship or amicus briefs  Grassroots lobbying, such as petitions  Attempting to influence policy by getting individuals to contact their representatives directly  Protests and radical activism

Election Activities  Candidate recruitment and endorsements  Getting out the vote  Rating the candidates or office holders  Campaign contributions  PACs

What role do lobbyists play in Congress? This cartoon presents one popular, although not always correct, view of how legislation gets enacted on Capitol Hill.

Interest Groups Seek Support  Efforts to influence policy makers include  Media Campaigns  Television or television or magazine ads Televisiontelevision  Letter Writing  The NRA can send thousands of s or letters to a congressman

NRA Mailer Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp’s vote against the Senate’s gun background check measure is getting her support from the National Rifle Association, which put out a mailer urging its supporters in North Dakota to thank Heitkamp for her vote. From the Grand Forks Herald: Andrew Arulanandam, NRA spokesman, said the group wanted to make sure its members in the state express their gratitude because Heitkamp stood up to “tremendous political pressure.” “The NRA thinks that Sen. Heitkamp is a profile in courage and common sense. She listens to her constituents,” he said.Grand Forks Herald Heitkamp was one of four Democrats to vote against the Manchin-Toomey Amendment. She has an A-rating from the NRA.

Limitations  Different groups compete for power and influence  Keeps any single group from controlling a lawmaker  Larger groups are less effective  smaller groups have a narrower aim  WHY?  Concern regarding contributions to political campaigns