INTEREST GROUPS: (10.7 & 11.4)

-public policy

all of the many goals that a government pursues in all of the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved

-interest group

private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy

-lobbying

activities by which group pressures are brought to bear on legislators, the legislative process, and all aspects of the public policymaking process

lobbyist

person who tries to persuade public officials to do those things that interest groups want them to do

-labor union

organization of workers who share the same type of job, or who work in the same industry, and press for government policies that will benefit its members

-trade associations

interest group within the business community

-amicus curiae brief

legal Latin term meaning “friend of the court”; a document that consists of written arguments presented to a court in support of one side in a dispute

-political action committees (PACs)

political arms of special-interest groups and other organizations with a stake in electoral politics

-Super PACs

independent political action committees, unaffiliated with any political party, which are allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts; they must reveal their donors and cannot work directly with a candidate's campaign; independent political action committees, unaffiliated with any political party

-subsidy

a grant, usually from a government, to help an organization

-soft money

money given to State and local party organizations, in unlimited amounts, for election-related activities

hard money

contributions that are given directly to candidates for their campaigns, are limited, and must be reported to the government