Chapter 10 (Interest Groups)

Define an interest group, a lobbyist, and list some examples.

• An organized groups of individuals that seek to influence public policy, also called a lobby. Lobbyists are representatives of an interest group.

• AFL-CIO, American Farm Bureau Federation, Business Roundtable, and Common Cause are all examples

Define the roles of interest groups and explain some basic arguments over why they are good or bad.

• Roles:

  • Representation of certain people and interests

  • Participation via collective, mutually-interested action

  • Education via educating their members, the government, and the public at large

  • Agenda building — the process by which new issues are brought into the political limelight

  • Program Monitoring — keeping track of government programs and tracking circulating government activity

• Arguments

  • People typically dislike interest groups because they do not equally represent all interests and somewhat rely on funding and social status to forward their causes, as well as suspected bribing of Congressmen

Explain how interest groups form and the flaws in one of the theories.

• One theory is that they form as need arises and certain interests are threatened by government policy, but this is too idealistic.

  • A counterexample is how the West End neighborhood was demolished for public use and none of the landowners organized to protest their evictions; they just left.

Define an interest group entrepreneur.

• An interest group organizer or leader.

List some of the various resources used by interest groups.

• Members — a large, politically active membership is one of the most valuable resources to be had

• Attracting New Members — while competing with other similar interest groups

• The Free-Rider Problem — the situation in which people benefit from an organization’s activities but do not themselves contribute to those activities

• Lobbyists — make sure that people in government know what their members want and they help educate people. Either full-time employees of their organization or employees of public relations/firms who are hired on retainer. Lobbyists are valued for knowing how to navigate the government system

• Political Action Committee — pools campaign contributions from group members and donates those funds to candidates for political office

Differentiate trade associations from interest groups.

• Trade associations are organizations that represent firms within a particular industry.

List the tactics of lobbying.

• Direct lobbying — attempts to influence a policymaker through direct contact with that individual

• Grassroots lobbying — lobbying activities performed by rank-and-file interest group members and other supporters, ex. writing letters or, unconventionally, some form of public protest

• Information campaigns — an organized effort to gain public backing by bringing a group’s views to public attention, such as trying to develop public relations or trying to sponsor research

• Coalition building — banding several interest groups together for the purpose of lobbying, typically arranged informally

What are the two most valuable resources for lobbying?

• Knowledge and money

Define citizen groups.

• Lobbying organizations that are built around policy concerns unrelated to members’ vocational interests.