AP GOV Interest Group Quiz

Interest Group:

a group with common interests that seeks to influence the government

Interest Groups vs. Political Parties:

interest groups are different from political parties who hold offices within the government; they simply want to influence the government

James Madison's view on interest groups:

he thought trying to eliminate factions would make the government tyrannical; he thought factions were dangerous

Functions of Interest Groups:

(1) raise awareness and create interest in public affairs by educating their members and the public

(2) represent their membership (link between members and government)

(3) provide information to the government (data for making public policy)

(4) provide channels for political participation (gets citizens to work together toward a common goal)

Elite Theory:

counters that only the wealthiest have access to, or the resources to establish interest groups

Pluralist Theory:

holds that interest groups prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a few

Why do people join interest groups?

(1) solidary incentives: (social reasons)

(2) material incentives: (ex- people in AARP get discounted prescription drugs)

(3) ideological incentives: (ex- some people in PETA think eating meat is bad and murder; PETA protects animal rights)

Public Interest Groups:

These groups are concerned with issues like the environment, consumer protection, crime, and civil rights. They aim to benefit society as a whole.

Governmental Interest Groups:

include the national association of governors; this group wants block grants and revenue sharing

How do interest groups asses political candidates and help sway voters?

They issue "report cards" that rate candidates based on their votes and beliefs (NEA's is very influential)

Most interest groups are formed on the basis of what?

ECONOMIC Interests

Labor Groups:

promote and protect the interest of organized labor

AFL-CIO

Teamsters Union

Business Groups:

promote and protect business interests in general

The Chamber of Commerce

Professional Groups:

maintain standards of the profession, hold meetings, and publish journals

NEA, AMA, ABA

Agricultural Groups:

promote general agricultural interests

the National Grange

Examples of groups that promote specific causes:

NRA

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

Examples of groups that promote religion-related causes:

American Jewish Congress

National Council of Churhes

Examples of groups that promote the welfare of specific groups of individuals:

VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)

NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

AARP (American Association of Retired Persons

Examples of Public Interest Groups:

MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

Common Cause

League of Women Voters

List some strategies of interest groups.

-Lobbying

-Influencing elections

-Going public

-Litigation

Lobbying:

attempting to influence policymakers

(often by supplying data to the government)

When is lobbying most effective?

It is most effective on narrow, technical issues that aren't in the media spotlight

Types of Lobbying:

(1) direct lobbying

(2) grassroots lobbying

(3) coalition lobbying

Direct Lobbying:

using personal contacts between lobbyists and policy makers

Grassroots Lobbying:

interested group members and others outside the organization write letters, send telegrams, emails, faxes, and make phone calls all to influence policy makers

Coalition Lobbying:

several interest groups with common interests/goals join together to influence policymakers

Going Public:

appealing to the public for support by bringing attention to an issue or using public relations to gain support for the image of the interest group itself

Litigation:

groups taking an issue to court if they can't gain Congress's support

Influencing Elections:

encouraging members to vote for candidates who share their views

endorsement

an advertising message that consumers are likely to believe reflects the opinions or beliefs of someone other than the sponsoring advertiser.

free-rider

someone who would not choose to pay for a certain good or service, but who would get the benefits of it anyway if it were provided as a public good.

grasstops

an interest group tactic of enlisting the support of people w/ strong local influence or a personal connection to lawmakers.

iron triangles

when a bureaucratic agency, an interest group, and a congressional committee works together to advance its own agenda and act in its own interests.

issue networks

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

lobbyist

A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches

pluralism

a society in which many different groups with many different opinions and viewpoints all have to coexist and work with each other in the political sphere.

501 (C) (3)

Nonprofit group that may legally address political matters but may not lobby or campaign; donations to it are tax deductible.

501 (C) (4)

nonprofit group that is permitted to lobby and campaigns; donations to it are not tax deductible

bundling

A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2,000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a bundle.

ideological groups

An organization that attracts members by appealing to their interests on a coherent set of controversial principles.

intergovernmental lobby

An interest group made up of mayors, governors, and other state and local officials who depend on federal funds.

material incentives

Benefits that have a monetary value, including money, gifts, services, or discounts received as a result of one's membership in an organization.

19th amendment (1920)

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex

professional associations

groups of individuals who share a common profession and are often organized for common political purposes related to that profession.

purpose incentives

An incentive to join a mass-membership organization based on the appeal of the group's goal.

revolving door

the practice of public officials or employees abandoning public service for lobbying positions.

17 amendment (1913)

allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. senators.

single-issue groups

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics.

16 amendment

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

solidary incentives

An inducement to join a mass-membership organization based on the sense of pleasure, status, or companionship derived from membership.

think tanks

n organization that claims to serve as a center for research and/or analysis of important public issues.

trade associations

An interest group composed of companies in the same business or industry (the same "trade") that lobbies for policies that benefit members of the group.

upper-class bias

due to the fact that many interest groups charge to be official members, many of whom are upper class with the ability to pay, more of their views are being heard than the average person.

Bapartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)

A law passed in 2002 that banned soft money, put limits on issue advertising, and increased the amount people can donate to candidates; also called the McCain-Feingold bill.

citizens united v federal election

A case challenging the Federal Election Commission's ruling that the documentary film entitled Hilary produced by a non profit corporation and funded by for-profit corporations constituted a violation of the ban on corporate contributions to federal campaigns.The Supreme Court ruled that corporate funding of independent political ads in candidate elections cannot be limited under the first amendment

connected pacs

PACs made by corporations/unions which are funded separately from these organizations' treasuries. Rather, members make voluntary contributions to the PAC (the amounts members can give to PAC is limited by the FEC), and the PAC in turn gives this money directly to candidates.

dark money

Money given to political campaigns or ads that cannot be traced or regulated

federal election campaign act (1971)

is a United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns, and amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. The amendment also created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
*Limits Contributions, all candidates must disclose contribution and expidentures

federal election commission (fec)

is the independent regulatory agency charged with administering and enforcing the federal campaign finance law.

hard money

Donations given directly to candidates, which can be traced and regulated.

soft money

Unlimited donations given to a party or interest group

super pacs

(independent expenditure only political committees) are committees that may receive unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions and other PACs for the purpose of financing independent expenditures and other independent political activity.