Interest Groups (EXAM 2)

What is an Interest Group?

an organization of people with similar policy goals that try to influence the political process to try to achieve those goals. (mostly related to legislative branch, but can influence every level/branch of govt.)

Examples of Interest Groups

š  AARP (The largest interest group EXAM in the country in terms of total membership)

š  NRA

š  NAACP

š  LULAC

š  MALDEF

š  NOW

š  The Sierra Club

The Roots and Development of American Interest Groups EXAM

š  James Madison in Federalist #10 argued for a proliferation of interest groups so that no one group could get hegemony (become more powerful) over the other groups.

š  America today has thousands of interest groups, but the argument can be made that only a small number of them have any significant influence over government.

Direct Techniques of Interest Groups EXAM

š  Lobbying (direct techniques to influence those in power):

š-Private meetings

š  Testifying before the U.S. Congress/state legislatures

š  Drafting Legislation (and submitting it to legislators)

š  Social Occasions

š  Providing Political Info

š  Supplying Nomination suggestions for presidents and governors.

Indirect Techniques of Interest Groups EXAM

š  Generating Public Pressure :

š  Creating a groundswell of public pressure by running online, TV, radio, and newspaper ads that make the public aware of a given issue.

š  Using constituents as lobbyists by asking voters to contact their local elected officials if they are unhappy about a given issue.

š  Building alliances with other groups.

What Makes Interest Groups Successful?

(not in order):

1. Leaders

2. Funding

3. Members

Pluralist Theory

š  argues that interest group activity brings representation to all.

š  Interest groups compete and counterbalance one another.

Hyper-Pluralist Theory

Hyper-pluralists argue that when interest groups become too powerful, they dominate the political decision-making structures and they render any consideration of the greater public interest impossible.

Criticisms of Interest Groups:

š  Ignoring the wider interests of society.

š  Producing confusion and deadlock in Congress.

š  Generating so much emotion that they make reasoned discussion difficult.

š  Having too much influence.

The Positive Side of Interest Groups:

š  Promote interest in public affairs.

š  Provide useful information.

š  Serve as watchdogs. (over media and political elite)

š  Represent the interest of citizens.