Interest Groups Notes

Interest Groups

Overview

  • Interest groups are collections of people or organizations that attempt to influence public policy.
  • Key differences exist between interest groups and political parties.

Key Concepts

  • Competing Theories:
    • Pluralist vs. Elitist theory.
  • Distinctions:
    • PACs, Interest Groups, and Political Parties.
  • Types of Interest Groups:
    • Economic vs. Public Interest.
  • Influence:
    • How interest groups influence policy (tactics).
  • Regulations:
    • Regulations on interest groups.
  • Linkage Institution:
    • How interest groups serve as a linkage institution.

Theories of Political Power

Pluralist Theory

  • Political power is distributed among a wide range of diverse and competing groups.
  • Many centers of power exist, constantly shifting.

Hyperpluralism

  • Interest groups become so powerful that they run society; the government is weakened.
  • Too many cooks in the kitchen lead to inaction.

Elitist Theory

  • Not based on the will of the people.

  • A small, cohesive upper class makes all important decisions.

  • Example: The decision to go to war in Iraq despite popular consensus against it, driven by:

    1. The military
    2. The administration
    3. Defense companies (e.g., Halliburton, Carlyle Group)

Participatory Theory

  • Citizens should have a large, active role in government.
  • “Direct Democracy”
  • Potentially leading to “mob rule”.

Relevant Documents

  • Federalist #10

  • Brutus #1

  • Key quote from Brutus #1:
    > In every free government, the people must give their assent to the laws by which they are governed. This is the true criterion between a free government and an arbitrary one. The former are ruled by the will of the whole, expressed in any manner they may agree upon; the latter by the will of one, or a few.

Types of Interest Groups

  • Public Interest groups
  • Economic Interest groups (most common)
  • Professional Organizations
  • Government Units
  • PACs

Examples of Public Interest Groups

  • ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
  • Voters Rising
  • MoveOn.org
  • MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
  • Greenpeace

Examples of Economic Interest Groups

  • AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations)
  • AARP
  • National Corn Growers Association

Examples of Professional Organizations

  • NEA (National Education Association)
  • AAPS (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists)

Examples of Government Units

  • National Governors Association
  • City/County Association of Governments
  • Idaho Association of Counties
  • Michigan Association of Counties
  • National Congress of American Indians

PACs

  • PACs (Political Action Committees): Political fund-raising organizations that represent interest groups.
  • Super PACs
  • Leadership PACs: PACs created by members of Congress that donate money to each other's campaigns.

How Interest Groups Influence Policy

  1. Lobbying:

    • Influencing legislators and government officials regarding policies.

  2. Who Gets Lobbied?

    • Executive Branch
    • Legislative Branch
    • Judicial Branch:
      • Friend of the court briefs (amicus curiae).
    • Grassroots lobbying: Mobilizing members to contact officials.
  • Amicus Curiae:
    • Friend of the court.

  1. Litigation:

    • Lawsuits (e.g., ACLU, NAACP).

  2. Elections:

    • Recruiting candidates
    • GOTV (Get Out The Vote) drives
    • Rating current candidates (e.g., NRA Congressional Ratings).

  3. Money:

    • Donating PAC money
    • Bundling individual contributions.

  4. Publicity, Media

Factors Influencing Interest Group Influence

An interest group is most likely to have influence on Congress when the issue at stake:

  • Is narrow in scope and low in public visibility.
  • Is part of the president’s legislative package.
  • Has been dramatized by the media.
  • Engages legislators’ deeply held convictions.
  • Divides legislators along party lines.

Regulations

  • 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act:
    • Lobbyists must register.
    • File a financial report.
    • Disclose clients.
    • Officials cannot take gifts from private lobbyists.

Revolving Door

  • Members of Congress (and other officials) leave office and join lobbying firms at a high rate.