Government Interest Groups + Media Linkage Institutions

Demographics of Republicans

Demographics of Democrats

Political ideology vs. Political party

Three Components of a political party

Organization, government, and electorate

What do linkage institutions do?

Connect people to the government

When are party platforms written

National party conventions

Interest Group

Linkage institution that links people to government; influences politics and policies

Policy specialists

Those who know lots about one or a small amount of policies

Contrast between interest groups and political parties

Being focused on one party opposed to being focused on many policies and trying to win in presidential elections

Goal of American labor unions?

Pressing policies for better working conditions and higher wages

Union shop vs. right-to-work laws

Requiring employees to join the union and to stay vs. outlawing union membership

Why do business groups favor Republicans?

Tax-cutting and deregulatory agendas

Five goals of environmental groups

1. Controlling pollution

2. Combat global warning

3. Wilderness protection

4. Species preservation

5. Safety standards

Who do equality groups like the NAACP, NOW, and ERA tend to represent?

Women and minorities

What does the Consumer Product Safety Commission do?

Regulation of all consumer products to ban those that are dangerous

Lobbying

Seeking to influence on an issue

“The Revolving Door” theory

Explains why many lobbyists are former lawmakers - they have established connections and insider knowledge of the legislative process.

Four ways lobbyists help members of Congress

Providing information, legislative strategy, re-election/campaign help, source of ideas/innovation

Grassroots lobbying/going public

Urging others to contact their legislator requesting action on specific legislation

Electioneering

Aiding candidates financially and getting group members to support them

How are PAC’s formed?

A business or other interest group contributes to candidates they believe will support legislation it favors

Relationship between political candidates and PAC’s

Candidates need PAC’s to perform well

Why do PAC’s donate large sums of money to incumbents?

They have higher chances of winning, which leads to more money

Litigation

A legal proceeding in a court, or a Judicial contest to determine and enforce legal rights

Why are amicus curiae briefs important?

“Friend of the Court Briefs”

Class Action Lawsuit

Cases brought by individuals representing themselves and others

Legislator Ratings

Rating representatives of interest groups depending on how well they do at representing them

Relationship between Collective good and Free riders

Something of value unable to be withheld from potential members of a group and certain members joining a group and not putting in the same effort as the others while still reaping the same benefits

Selective Benefits

Goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join which helps prevent those who join only for benefits

Single-issue group success

Stems from having narrow interests, disliking Compromise, and single-mindlessly pursuing goals

What tactics have protesters against abortion adopted?

Blocking entrances to abortion clinics

What is wrong with interest groups in James Madison’s eyes?

Not allowing equal representation of all groups

What was James Madison’s solution to interest groups and unequal representation?

Creating wide-open systems where many groups can participate

Types of mass media

News channels, news stations, news papers, social media platforms, the internet

How did people feel about the government prior to the Watergate Scandal and the Vietnam War?

Citizens had a lot more trust in the government

Investigative Journalism

The media assumes that government officials are lying and they will investigate them to try and seek the truth

How did TV coverage of Vietnam change peopls’s views on Lyndon B. Johnson?

TV exposed the horrors of Vietnam and lying by the government

Narrowcasting

Focusing on one subject

ex: Food shows (Food Network)

Broadcasting

Having focus on multiple different subjects

ex: ABC, CBS

Positives of Narrow casting and Selective Exposure

More political involvement for citizens and helping to clarify policy decisions

Negatives to narrow casting and selective exposure

Not giving the full picture and causing more separation between the parties

Examples of consumer-driven news

• “If it bleeds, it leads”

• sensationalism

• fear

Sound bite

Little clips or highlights of what politicians say or do

How might sound bites affect American politics?

Clips being taken out of context

Confirmation Bias

A theory stating people tend to search, evaluate, and incorporate new information that confirms their prior beliefs

Political Party

A group of people who seek to control government by winning elections and holding office

What do parties do

Nominate candidates, inform and activate supporters, act as a bonding agent, govern, and act as a watchdog

Positives of a multi-party system

Broader representation of people, more responsive to the people, gives voters more choices

Negatives of a multi party system?

More influence of extremists, coalition formation, and failure of coalitions which can cause government instability

Aspects of Federalism

Led by John Adams, represented cities and upper class individuals, and favored a strong executive and loose interpretation of the constitution

Aspects of Anti-Federalism

Led by Thomas Jefferson, represented farmers and the “common man”, and favored a strict interpretation of the government