Ap Gov Ch10 Interest groups

NRA

National Rifle Association

Congress/States

Most powerful interest group

Lobby in states bc most gun laws are state laws

Single issue

NARAL

National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League

Congress/Courts

Roe v Wade; Pro choice; Dem

Single issue

NAACP

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Courts

Brown v Board

Civil Liberty/Rights

NRLC

National Right to Life Committee

Congress/Courts

Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health; Pro life; Rep

Single Issue

AARP

American Association of Retired Persons

Congress

Age 50

Medicare/Social Security

Many issues/large group

ACLU

American Civil Liberties Union

Courts

Bill of Rights

PhRMA

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

Congress/Bureaucracy (depts + agnc of exec branch)

FDA- Food + Drug Administration

Chamber of Commerce

Business

Congress/Local

Lobby Local Governments- local businesses get together to fight for what they want (more parking spaces, festivals etc)

NRDC

Natural Resources Defense Council

Courts

Environment

Clean air act; clean water act

Political party=

Generalist

Interest Groups=

Specialist

Consumer's Union

Consumer reports- magazine

Courts

Ralph Nader= founder

Fights for average customer

AFL-CIO-Teamsters

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

Congress

Union

Higher wages + better benefits

AMA

American Medical Association

Congress

Higher fees from Medicare

Lower drug costs

NAR

National Association of Realtors

Congress

Ads on TV

Interest Group

Organization of people with similar policy goals who enter policy process at several points to achieve those goals

-May pursue goals in any branch, level, bureaucracy

-Do not face same constraints imposed by trying to please everyone

Pluralism

Theory of government/politics that many groups, presser for prefer-policies compete and counterbalance on another

-Groups are key link between govt and ppl

-No one group dominate

-Groups compete

-Usually play by rules

-Weak in one resource, use another

POSITIVE THEORY

Hyperpluralism

Theory of government/politics that groups are so strong that govt is trying to please them all and becomes weakened

-Groups too powerful

-Interest group liberalism aggravated by iron triangles

-Trying to please everyone = confusing and contradictory policies

Results: Big, ineffective, expensive laws

NEGATIVE THEORY

Elitism

Theory of government/politics contending that an upper-class elite will hold most power and in effect run gov't

-Groups are unequal

-Great power held by business groups

-System of interlocking directorates

-Lose minor policy fights but prevail in the big decisions

BUSINESS GROUPS HAVE MONEY = MATTER MORE

Iron triangles

A mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees. They dominate some areas of domestic policymaking.

Potential group

All the people who might be interest group members because they share some common interest.

Actual group

The people in the potential group who actually join.

Collective good

Something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential group member

ex: Clean water/air

Free-rider problem

Get benefits but do not pay or work for them

- AARP = big gap in potential and actual

-Business = smaller gap

Olsen's Law of Large Groups

The bigger the group the larger the free-rider problem

Selective Benefits

Way to overcome free-rider problem

Goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join

Tax Reform Act of 1986

Lobbyists unable to preserve many of their most prized loopholes

Senator Packwood- the only way to deal with the tax loophole problem was to go virtually cold turkey by eliminating all but a few; Lost next election

Increased tax revenue, made it more fair

Lobbying

An attempt to influence government decision makers on behalf of citizens or groups in society

Origin- hotel lobbies

Lobbyists- 18,000

Best lobbyist- Former senator or representative

Help of Interest groups for Congress

1. Information

2. Political Strategy- legislation

3. Campaign Strategy and support

4. Ideas/Innovations

Electioneering

Direct group involvement in the electoral process, for example, by helping to fund campaigns, getting members to work for candidates, and forming political action committees.

ex: pacs

PACS

Money arm of interest group

Political Action Committees

Political funding vehicles created by 1974 FECA reforms; monitored by FEC; $ mostly to incumbents, committees, chairpersons, leadership

Litigation

Alternate to congressional lobbying for interest groups

-Amicus Curiae Briefs- friend of court, interest group helping specific cases

-Class Action Lawsuits- getting a bunch of individuals who experienced the same thing to join as a group in the lawsuit