1. Schedule Thursday Political Parties Today Interest Groups
Tomorrow Test: Media, Interest Groups, Political Parties
Due Friday Clinton v. New York City (1997)
United States v. Nixon (1974)

2. The “iron triangle”

3. Interest Groups as Linkage Institutions

4. Interest Groups as Factions
Madison (Federalist 10) – his description of factions defines the interest groups found today
Madison’s broad language “ The latent causes of faction are sown in the nature of man..” predicted the potential for multiple factions on many topics
Definition: People who share common goals, interact with each other, and organize to affect the public agenda.

5. Types of Interest Groups
Economic: primary purpose is to promote the economic interest of their members
* National Assoc. of Manufacturers
* AFL-CIO (unions)
* U.S. Chamber of Commerce
* Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
* National Farmers Union
* Tobacco Institute
* American Medical Assoc.
* National Assoc. of Trial Lawyers
* American Petroleum Institute

6. Types of Interest Groups
Public Interest Groups: narrowly focused groups, often on a single issue
* American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
* American Assoc. of Retired Persons (AARP)
* The Brady Campaign.
* National Assoc. for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP)
* National Rifle Assoc. (NRA)
* National Abortion Rights League (NARAL)
* National Right to Life Committee
* Christian Coalition

7. Types of Interest Groups
Environmental Groups: formed to protect many parts of the environment
* Greenpeace
* Sierra Club
* Environmental Defense Fund
* National Audubon Society
* The Nature Conservancy
* League of Conservation Voters

8. Types of Interest Groups
Public Interest/Good Government: search for public policy that is in the interest of the general public
* Common Cause
* Public Citizen
* National Right to Work
* MADD

9. Interest Groups as linkage institutions
Strategies to influence the public agenda
* Information & education of public,
Congress, White House, etc.
* Mass media appeal
* Mass mailings
* Electioneering activities:
campaigning, issue ads, etc.
* Political Action Committees (PACs)

10. Interest Groups as linkage institutions
Lobbying
* Congress: draft legislation, testify,
“astroturf” pressure, polls,
use constituents a
grassroots
* Executive Branch: information, testify,
assist with rules for
regulatory agencies
* Courts: amicus curiae briefs,
nominations

11. Interest Groups as linkage institutions
Other Activities
* Grassroots: direct mail, internet, radio
talk shows
* Protest: rally, parade, breaking the
law
* Election: endorsements, rating
candidates, contributions thru
PACs, issue ads, 527
committees, getting out the
vote (GOTV)

12. Interest Groups’ Influence
Positive: Advantage for democracy because it allows individual citizens to influence government in ways that are beyond their ballot – links them to the public agenda
Negative: The poorer citizens & those in minorities are poorly represented, there is too much money involved in the process (elitist), and there is too much opportunity for influence of the public agenda to be purchased