1. Chapter Seven
Interest Groups

2. Learning Outcomes
Define an interest group and explain the constitutional and political reasons why so many groups are found in the United States.
Explain why an individual may or may not decide to join an interest group and the benefits that membership can confer.
Describe different types of interest groups and the sources of their political power.
Identify the direct and indirect techniques that interest groups use to influence government decisions.

3. Introduction
Interest group: an organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers
Lobbyist: organization or individual who attempts to influence legislation and the administrative decisions of government

4. Interest Groups: A Natural Phenomenon
Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville
“... in no country of the world has the principle of association been more successfully used or applied to a greater multitude of objectives than in America.”
Interests groups form to
Solve civic problems
Establish social relationships
Represent economic or political interests

5. Interest Groups: A Natural Phenomenon
James Madison foresaw importance of multiple organizations in political system
Protects minority views
Pluralism
Two-thirds of all Americans belong to at least one group
Protestors demonstrate their opposition to the proposed XL Pipeline in front of the
White House in August, (Rena Schild/Shutterstock.com)
Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

6. Interest Groups: A Natural Phenomenon
Interest groups and social movements
Demands change in political, economic or social system
Movements indicate first signs of discontent
Women’s suffrage
Civil rights movement
Immigrant workers and La Raz
Human Rights Campaign
Occupy movement

7. Social Movement Interest Groups
Table 7-1

8. Interest Groups: A Natural Phenomenon
Why so many?
First Amendment guarantees
Federal system opportunities
Racial, ethnic and religious diversity
Cesar Estrada Chavez, leader of the farmworker rights movement. He founded the National Farm Workers Association to secure the rights of migrant farmworkers to better wages and living conditions. One of the tactics he used was a consumer boycott against food producers. (Peter Silva/ZUMA Press/Newscom)
Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

9. Why Do Americans Join Interest Groups?
Unorganized or latent interests
Collective good
Free rider problem
Solidary incentives
Companionship
Sense of belonging
Association with like-minded people

10. Why Do Americans Join Interest Groups?
Material incentives
Economic well-being and opportunities
Protect interests regarding government policy
Purposive incentives
Advocate political goals through joint action
Advocate social goals through joint action
Way to participate in democratic society

11. Types of Interest Groups
Economic groups (most common type)
Business interest groups
Agricultural interest groups
Labor interest groups
Public-employee unions
Interest groups of professionals
The unorganized poor

12. Decline in Union Membership, 1948 to Present
Figure 7-1
As shown in this figure, the percentage of the total workforce that is represented by labor unions has declined precipitously over the last 40 years. Note, however, that in contrast to the decline in union representation in the private sector, the percentage of government workers who are unionized has increased significantly since about (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008.)

13. Types of Interest Groups
Environmental groups
National Audubon Society
Sierra Club
National Wildlife Federation
Greenpeace Society
Young people work together to clean up a creek that has been polluted by run-off and flooding. (© Jim West/Alamy)
Copyright © 2014 Cengage Learning

14. Types of Interest Groups
Public-interest groups
Nader organizations
Other public-interest groups
American Civil Liberties Union
League of Women Voters
Common Cause
MoveOn

15. Types of Interest Groups
Other interest groups
Single-interest interest groups
National Rifle Association
PETA
AARP
Foreign governments

16. “One Issue” Interest Groups
Table 7-9

17. What Makes an Interest Group Powerful?
Size and resources
Large number of members paying dues = strong financial base (AARP)
Some are small in number, but have significant financial resources (Big Pharma)
Leadership
Develop effective strategies
Charisma and public image
Cohesiveness
Motivation and commitment of members is key

18. Profiles of Power: Four Influential Interest Groups
Figure 7.2

19. Profiles of Power: Four Influential Interest Groups19
Figure 7.2 19

20. Interest Group Strategies
Access to government officials essential
Direct techniques
Lobbying
Rating systems
Building alliances
Campaign assistance
Bipartisan Campaign Finance Act
Citizens United v. FEC

21. Legislative Scorecards
Interest groups from every imaginable ideological point of view issue scorecards of individual legislators’ voting records as they relate to the organization’s agenda. Shown here are two such scorecards. How much value can voters place on these kinds of ratings? (Left: Courtesy of Pat Carlson, Texas Eagle Forum, Right: Courtesy of Sierra Club Minnesota North Star Chapter, minnesota.sierraclub.org)

22. Interest Group Strategies
Indirect techniques
Generating public pressure
Use of polls
“Climate control”
Constituents as lobbyists
Unconventional pressure
Boston Tea party
March on Washington
WTO protests

23. Climate Control?
To protest a proposed law that would have placed new regulations on the internet, SOPA, Wikipedia shut its site down for one day. This screen shot captures the thank you message posted by Wikipedia after the black out concluded. (Dusit/Shutterstock.com)

24. Regulating Lobbyists Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946)
Results of the 1946 Act
Defined lobbyist
Only full-time lobbyists must register
Foreign Agent Registration Act (1938)

25. Regulating Lobbyists Reforms of 1995 Lobbyist redefined
Stricter registration requirements
Semiannual reports
Foreign entities must register
Excludes grassroots & tax-exempt organizations

26. Regulating Lobbyists Recent lobbying scandals Jack Abramoff case
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007)
Tighter requirements (but still loopholes)
New rules on congressional gifts and trips

27. Interest Groups and Representative Democracy
Middle-and upper-class bias
“Elite within an elite” leadership
Most powerful: business, union, trade and professional groups
Public-interest and civil rights groups may struggle
More elitist than pluralist

28. Interest Groups and Representative Democracy
Interest group influence
Not all have equal influence
Different combination of resources
Public support important
Most successful often focus on specific issue

29. Community Unites With Chicago Teacher’s Union
Thousands of Chicago teachers rally in Union Park in support of their leaders. The teachers were on strike for the first time in 19 years over a new contract and issues of pay and teacher evaluation. (Todd Bannor/Alamy)