1. Interest Groups
Crash Course Overview

2. Our Society?
“Americans of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions, constantly form associations. They have not only commercial and manufacturing companies, in which all take part, but associations of a thousand other kinds – religious, moral, serious, futile, general or restricted, enormous or diminutive.”
Alexis de Tocqueville

4. Groups
Faction – Group of citizens united by some common passion or interest and opposed to the rights of other citizens or to the interests of the whole community
Interest Group – A collection of people or organizations that tries to influence public policy

5. Interest Groups
Interest groups want to INFLUENCE POLICY (and get it passed)
BUT don’t run their own candidates for office
Interest groups can “access,” or influence many points and levels of government
Political Action Committee (PAC) – the fundraising arm of an interest group

6. National Groups Emerge 1830-1889
American Anti-Slavery Society (1833)
Women’s Christian Temperance Union (1874)
Sought prohibition
The Grange (Post American Civil War)
Educational organization for farmers
Business Interests
Standard Oil
Railroad

7. Progressive Era 1890-1920 What was the Progressive Movement?
Issues/Organizations
Ending Discrimination - NAACP
Organized Labor – AFL, Clayton Act
Business Groups and Trade Associations
National Association of Manufacturers
Chamber of Commerce

8. The Rise of the Interest Group State
The Rise of Public Interest Groups—formed as a result of progressive movement seeking political and social reform
Conservative response: religious and ideological groups
Moral Majority – Jerry Fallwell
Christian Coalition – Pat Robertson
National Rifle Association (NRA)
Business groups, corporations, and trade associations
Business Roundtable
Chamber of Commerce
Organized Labor (unions)
AFL-CIO

9. Interest Group Examples
AARP (American Association of Retired People)
Sierra Club (Environment)
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
NOW (National Organization of Women)
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups)
NEA (National Education Association)
AMA (American Medical Association)
Thousands of interest groups in the US

10. Sierra Club

11. United Auto Workers (UAW)

12. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

13. American Association of Retired People (AARP)

14. National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

15. Why Do Interest Groups Form?
Problem of collective action: the difficulty of getting people to work together to achieve a common goal. It can be overcome by:
Common threat or problem
Disturbance that threatens members (interests)
Resources
What does money do?
Effective leadership
Interest Group Entrepreneurs – Chavez, Nader

16. Theories of Interest Group Formation
Pluralist Theory
Political power distributed among groups (all groups not equal but a voice is provided)
Many interests and groups prevents one from being too powerful
Linkage institution
There is no shortage of theories to explain how interest groups form and influence public policy. The pluralist theory, for example, argues that political power is divided among a wide range of competing interest groups.
Taken one step further, this becomes disturbance theory, which claims that interest groups form in response to changes in the political system.
In turn, groups that are opposed to the first group's interests will form as well, thus ensuring that a wide range of voices are active in the political system. Ironically, this is evident in the establishment of transactions theory, which arose out of criticism of the pluralist and disturbance approaches.
Transactions theorists suggest that policies are actually the result of narrowly defined exchanges or transactions among political actors. The transactions are narrow because the elite classes have more time and money available to mobilize into interest groups. Therefore, according to transactions theorists, the voices heard most often in the political system belong to the elites.

17. Theories of Interest Group Formation
Hyper-pluralism Theory
Interest groups causing political chaos
TOO MANY GROUPS
Government trying to please everyone, resulting policies are haphazard and ill-conceived
Ex. – support removing business regulations and support environment protection???
impossible

18. Theories of Interest Group Formation
Disturbance Theory
Groups form in response to change.
Transactions Theory
It is not rational for people to form groups.
Free-riders
Groups that do form represent elites (who have lower transaction costs).
There is no shortage of theories to explain how interest groups form and influence public policy. The pluralist theory, for example, argues that political power is divided among a wide range of competing interest groups.
Taken one step further, this becomes disturbance theory, which claims that interest groups form in response to changes in the political system.
In turn, groups that are opposed to the first group's interests will form as well, thus ensuring that a wide range of voices are active in the political system. Ironically, this is evident in the establishment of transactions theory, which arose out of criticism of the pluralist and disturbance approaches.
Transactions theorists suggest that policies are actually the result of narrowly defined exchanges or transactions among political actors. The transactions are narrow because the elite classes have more time and money available to mobilize into interest groups. Therefore, according to transactions theorists, the voices heard most often in the political system belong to the elites.

19. Theories of Interest Group Formation
Elite/Elitism
Yes, there are lots of groups, but many do not have influence
Power held by business groups – MONEY
Most interest groups have no power

20. The Free Rider Problem Common good vs. Selective incentives
What is the problem?
Case Study: National Rifle Association
Common good vs. Selective incentives
There are three types of selective incentives:
Material benefits – tangible rewards
Solidary benefits – meetings, trips, activities, other
Expressive benefits – rewards that come from doing something you believe in

21. Types of Interest Groups
Public Interest Groups
Seek collective goods
Economic Interest Groups
Promote the economic interests of members
Governmental Units
States and local governments lobby too.
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Fund-raising organizations that seek to influence elections
Interest groups can take may forms, as we've already said. Public interest groups, for example, seek a collective good for a larger group of people. Both the Civil Rights movement and the Progressive Era's push for better working and living conditions for immigrants fall under this category.
Economic interest groups, on the other hand, exist to promote the economic interests of their members. These include trade and professional organizations such as the American Medical Association and labor groups such as the AFL-CIO.
Next we have governmental units. In the increasingly complex world of federal policy and bureaucracy, state and local governments have found themselves needing to lobby for their interests as well.
Finally, we have Political Action Committees, which are officially registered fundraising organizations that represent interest groups in the political process.

22. Types of Interest Groups
Economic Interest Groups – Organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members
Unions, corporations, agriculture, business
Public Interest Groups– Organize to promote policies that benefit underrepresented or disadvantaged groups…benefit collective good
Age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation
Examples: Environmental, Consumer, Religious, Other

23. Types of Interest Groups
Political Action Committees (PAC’s)– Officially recognized fund-raising organization that represents interest groups and funds campaigns
Normally associated with big business and big money interests (ie. Coca Cola Company Non-Partisan Committee for Good Government) (top PAC contributors to candidates )
Government Units– Foreign and domestic governments attempt to influence our federal government
Exist at state and local level as well
Example: Council of Local Governments (lobby federal government to get grants-in-aid or pork barrel spending)

24. Resources = Power
Money – can buy staff and professional assistance; campaign contributions
Leadership - Intangible element in the success or failure of an interest group
Membership – Size and intensity
Size: Power of the AARP
25% of population is 50 and over; 35 million members
Information – Knowledge is power

25. How do Interest groups get money?
Donations (YOU!)
Foundations
Ex. - Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation
Federal grants and contracts

26. Roles of Interest Groups
Representation
Lobbying: activities aimed at persuading policymakers to support the group’s positions
Participation
Education
Think Tanks: public-interest organizations that do research on policy questions and disseminate their findings in books, articles, conferences, etc.
Agenda building
Provision of program alternatives
Program monitoring

27. Lobbying
Direct Lobbying (inside): Direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions
All branches of government are the focus of heavy efforts to influence policy
Indirect Lobbying (outside): Attempts to influence policymakers by encouraging the general public to put pressure on them
Combination of tactics

28. Direct Lobbying
Congress – strategies include personal contacts, professional lobbyists, expert testimony, campaign contributions, letters, testimony, and coalition formation
President – strategies include personal contacts and revolving door
Bureaucracy – strategies include developing strong relations with regulating agencies (iron triangles)
Courts – strategies include challenging the legality of laws or regulations in the courts, amicus curiae briefs

29. What Role Do Lobbyists Play in Congress?
This cartoon presents one popular view of how legislation gets enacted on Capitol Hill. Political science research, however, reveals that interest groups do not directly "buy" members' votes in a quid pro quo. They do, however, reward loyal supporters in Congress with campaign contributions and other incentives.
Used with the permissions of Mike Luckovich and Creators Syndicate. All rights reserved.

30. How Many Lobbyists Are There? How Much Do They Spend?
In 2015, over 11,000 registered lobbyists attempted to influence public policy in Congress and the federal agencies. This large-scale lobbying effort is an expensive industry, costing over 3.2 billion dollars.
Source: Center for Responsive Politics.

31. Source: Center for Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org.
Figure 14.3 How Much Money Do Interest Groups Spend on Parties and Candidates?
Political action committees play an important role in national elections. The amount of money they spend and how it is allocated between Democrats and Republicans varies widely over interest group sectors, as shown in this illustration of spending in the 2013–2014 election cycle.
Source: Center for Responsive Politics,

36. Indirect Lobbying
Public – Using public opinion to pressure politicians (grassroots vs. astroturf)
Educating the public
Issue advocacy ads, public speeches and talks
Mobilizing the Public
The role of the internet?
Unconventional Methods
Social Protest and Radical Activism
Grassroots lobbying: encouraging people to contact representatives at local level

37. Challenges & Criticisms
Revolving Door
Reform and Regulation
Effectiveness

38. The Revolving Door A criticism of interest groups
Government officials quit their jobs or don’t get reelected
Then take government jobs for a certain lobbying agency
Fear that private interests by business have an unfair influence on gov decisions
Ex- official does favor in return for later job

39. Regulating Congressional Lobbyists
Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946)
Required registration for lobbyists
Lobbying Disclosure Act (1995)
Tougher registration requirements
Reporting requirements
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (2007)
Banned gifts to members of Congress and their staffs
Longer waiting period between government service and lobbying position
It took a while, but in 1946 Congress began regulating the activities of the people who are paid to lobby. In 1946 Congress passed the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act, which required some registration of lobbyists.
By 1995, however, public opinion polls showed that Americans believed the votes of members of Congress were for sale. In response, Congress passed the Lobbying Disclosure Act in This one was tougher: there was a stricter definition of lobbying and stricter registration requirements. Lobbyists had to report their clients and issues and estimate how much they were getting paid.
But that didn't stop all the abuses of the system. After lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to corruption charges in 2006, Congress passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of This act banned gifts and public speaking fees and put longer waiting periods in place before a person could move from a job with the federal government to a lobbying position in the private sector.

40. Regulating Executive Branch Lobbyists
1978 Ethics in Government Act
Two-year waiting period between leaving executive branch and lobbying one’s former agency
Obama Administration Reforms
Limited aides leaving White House from lobbying executive agencies within 2 years
Banned administration from accepting gifts
It's no surprise that formal lobbying of the executive branch is largely covered by the Lobbying Disclosure Act, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act and the 1978 Ethics in Government Act. This last act was passed following the Watergate scandal of the Nixon administration, and it barred anyone from an executive branch agency from representing a client in front of their former employer for two years.
More recently, the Obama administration has implemented reforms that bring congressional-style lobbying regulation to the executive branch. In regulations put into place on his first day on the job, Barack Obama limited aides leaving the White House from lobbying executive agencies within two years. He also banned members of the administration from accepting gifts from lobbyists.

41. Regulating Judicial Branch Lobbyists
Few Formal Regulations
Permission Required to File Amicus Curiae Briefs
Proposed Restrictions on “Legal Education” Sessions
As for the judicial branch, its lobbying activities have few formal regulations. Parties must ask permission to file amicus curiae briefs, but this is usually granted. Some people have called for restrictions on so-called "legal education" seminars, which judges attend at fancy resort hotels and which are paid for by lobbyists. So far, however, these regulations have not passed.

42. Results Total Dem% GOP% Business 75% 42% 57% Labor 6% 94% Ideological
$1,233,136,672
42%
57%
Labor 6%
$90,105,425
94%
Ideological 5%
$75,920,267
51%
49%
Other 9%
$144,991,377
38%
60%
Unknown
$92,861,587
30%
67%
Campaign contributions from PAC, Soft Money, and Donations – 2000 elections

43. Discussion Questions
Does it distort democracy for interest groups to bring different resources to the political process?
Are there ways to get people to pay for collective goods?
Are there any lobbying techniques that should be off limits in a democracy?