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The Politics of Interest Groups

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Presentation on theme: "The Politics of Interest Groups"— Presentation transcript:

1 The Politics of Interest Groups
Chapter 7

2 Housekeeping Election Time – Voter ID – Sample Ballot Early Voting
Election Day – Tuesday, Nov 7th Class No Class – Thursday, November 2 Midterm November 14, 2017 Online

3 Interest Groups in the Political Process
What Is an Interest Group? Pressure group, a special interest group, or a lobby Seeks to influence, not run government Intermediaries for those sharing common interests May not constitute majority interest group: An organization that seeks to influence government officials and their policies on behalf of members sharing common views and objectives (e.g., labor union or trade association). Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

4 Interest Groups in the Political Process
The Reasons for Interest Groups Legal and cultural reasons Right of association Decentralized government Strength of the party system and political ideologies right of association: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this right is part of the right of assembly guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that it protects the right of people to organize into groups for political purposes. decentralized government: Decentralization is achieved by dividing power between national and state governments and separating legislative, executive, and judicial branches at both levels. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

5 Interest Groups in the Political Process
Characteristics of Interest Groups Join for financial, professional, or social reasons Organizational patterns Highly centralized → National Rifle Association Decentralized alliances → trade associations Members tend to be educated and have resources Active minority and passive majority Learning Check 7.1 1. Name at least two factors that motivate interest group formation. 2. True or False: Most interest groups have an active membership Learning Check Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

6 Texas Professional and Occupational Associations
Table 7.1 Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

7 Types of Interest Groups
Economic Groups Business groups Texas Gaming Association Texas Association of Builders Labor groups Texas State Employees Union AFL-CIO economic interest group: Interest groups that exist primarily to promote their members’ economic self-interest. business organization: An economic interest group, such as a trade association (e.g., Texas Gaming Association), that lobbies for policies favoring business. labor organization: A union that supports pubic policies designed to increase wages, obtain adequate health insurance coverage, provide unemployment insurance, promote safe working conditions, and otherwise protect the interests of workers. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

8 Types of Interest Groups
Professional/Public Employee Groups Professional groups State Bar of Texas Texas Medical Association Public employee groups Texas Public Employees Association Teacher organizations professional group: An organization of physicians, lawyers, accountants, or other professional people that lobbies for policies beneficial to members. public officer and employee group: An organization of city managers, county judges, or other public employees or officials that lobbies for public policies that protect group interests. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

9 Interest Groups Social Groups Racial and ethnic groups Women’s groups
NAACP Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund Women’s groups Texas Women’s Political Caucus Religion-based groups Christian Coalition social interest group: Groups concerned primarily with social issues, including organizations devoted to civil rights, racial and ethnic matters, religion, and pubic interest protection. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

10 Interest Groups Public Interest Groups
Promote general interests of society Common Cause Texas Texans for Public Justice public interest group: An organization claiming to represent a broad public interest (environmental, consumer, political participation, and public morality) rather than a narrow private interest. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

11 Interest Groups Texas Power Groups
Most powerful in Texas: business-oriented trade associations, professional associations, labor unions Common traits: Strong links to legislators and bureaucrats “Repeat players” Headquarters in Austin Learning Check 7.2 1. True or False: All interest groups have one objective in common: to promote their self-interest. 2. Which are generally more powerful in Texas, business interest groups or labor groups? Learning Check Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

12 Interest Group Activities
Lobbying Personal communication Favors and gifts Grassroots activities According to Texans for Public Justice, special interests spent $328 million on lobbying contracts in 2013. lobbying: Communicating with legislators or other government officials on behalf of an interest group for the purpose of influencing decision makers. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

13 Interest Group Activities
Electioneering Issue advocacy Publicizing political records Providing group membership info Speaking opportunities at meetings Public endorsements GOTV campaigns electioneering: Active campaigning by an interest group in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate; actions urging the public to act on an issue. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

14 Interest Group Activities
Campaign Financing by Political Action Committees Texas Ethics Commission PACs In Texas, no limits except in judicial races PAC activities and their influence continue to increase. According to the Texas Ethics Commission, more than 1,800 active PACs were registered as of 2014. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

15 Top Ten Biggest Texas PACs in Spending and by Interest Category, 2012 Election
Table 7.3 Note: List includes interest groups. Period includes the two-year election cycle ending in December Dollar amounts have been rounded up. Source: ‘‘Texas Top Contributors,’’ 2012 Election Cycle, Major Reports, 2013, Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

16 Interest Group Activities
Bribery and Unethical Practices Sharpstown Bank scandal (1970s) Speaker Billy Clayton (1980) Speaker Gib Lewis (1991) Rep. Tom Craddick (2002) U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay Learning Check 7.3 1. Name two techniques lobbyists use to influence legislators. 2. Does Texas place limits on PAC contributions to candidates, as the federal government does?

17 Power and Regulation in Interest Group Politics
Regulation of Interest Group Politics Texas Ethics Commission and new ethics laws (1991) Electronic campaign disclosure reports “Late train” donations Texas Election Code: weak and difficult to enforce Texas Ethics Commission: A state agency that enforces state standards for lobbyists and public officials, including registration of lobbyists and reporting of political campaign contributions. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

18 Power and Regulation in Interest Group Politics
Regulation of Interest Group Politics Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission Texas overturned prohibition against super PACs in 2014 Relationship between campaign contributions and policy decision During the 2012 presidential primary elections, Rick Perry benefited from these super PACs, especially from one called ‘‘Make Us Great Again.’’31 After withdrawing from the Republican presidential nomination race, Perry received approval from the Federal Election Commission to form his own PAC or super PAC with funds remaining from his presidential campaign, or to transfer these funds to his gubernatorial campaign account. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

19 Power and Regulation in Interest Group Politics
Interest Group Power and Public Policy Internal factors Alignment with broad public beliefs External factors Political culture Relatively weak political parties Unwieldy constitution Interestingly, despite a large population, Texas is among the states with strong interest groups and relatively weak political parties. Compared with other states, scholars rank Texas as one of 26 states where interest groups dominate or fluctuate in power over time. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

20 Power and Regulation in Interest Group Politics
Pinpointing Political Power Issue-dependent But organized interests groups in Texas have advantage over unorganized citizens Learning Check 7.4 1. True or False: Texas’s campaign finance laws often involve public disclosure by public officials and lobbyists. 2. True or False: The Texas Ethics Commission is the primary state agency regulating political contributions and expenditures by lobbyists and public officials. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

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