5.6 Interest groups influencing policy thru lobbying

What are the 5 reasons Interest Groups exist

1. Educate voters and policy makers on the interest groups issues

2. Lobby (Hold meetings with policy makers to try to influence to pass legislation that address their issues and favors the group)

3. Draft legislation (IG’s hire expert policy makers. They present the legislation to sympathetic legislators and hope they introduce it)

4. Put pressure on legislators via mass emailing

How do IG’s help congressional committees in an iron triangle

IG’s inform congressional committees on policy information about their issues and campaign donations

Issue networks

When multiple IG’s come together to achieve a policy goal

How can an interest group’s activity be influenced by money?

IG’s can help finance a candidate’s campaigns, which makes policy makers much more likely to hold meeting with IG’s and accept their proposed legislation

HOWEVER, IG’s with limited funds will have more trouble being heard by legislator’s and policy makers.

What is the Free Rider Problem?

When a large group of people benefit from a small IGs legislative efforts without contributing to the work