CHAPTER 6: Political Parties and Interest Groups Study Notes

Political Parties and Interest Groups

Political Parties

Overview of Political Parties

• A political party is defined as an organized group that attempts to influence government by electing their members to office.
• The Founders of the nation did not envision the rise of political parties.

Parties and Elections

Recruiting Candidates

• One major function of political parties is to recruit candidates for elections.
• Ideal Candidate Requirements:
  • A strong leadership record.
  • The ability to raise money to mount a campaign.
• Candidate recruitment is particularly challenging during the incumbent era.
• Incumbent: a candidate running for re-election to a position they currently hold.

Nominations

• Political parties nominate candidates to run for office.
• The nomination process varies by state.
• Nomination Definition: Process by which a party selects a candidate to run for elective office.
• Most states rely on the primary election process, in which multiple candidates from the same party compete to become the party nominee.
• Party leaders and donors often have significant influence over the nomination process.

Mobilization

• During the general election (which follows the primary election), parties mobilize their voters.
• Mobilization Includes:
  • Voter registration efforts.
  • Collaborating with nonprofits and other organizations.
  • Encouraging voters to show up at polling places.
• Mobilization efforts have become systematic, employing extensive databases of voters for micro-targeting.

The American Two-Party System

Its History and Development

Early History

• George Washington, in his Farewell Address, warned against partisan politics, yet a two-party system developed early on in U.S. history.
• Two-Party System Definition: A system where only two parties have a realistic chance of competing effectively for control.

Party Systems

• Historians refer to the existing parties at any given time as a “party system.”
• The U.S. has not always had the same two dominant parties, and party systems can change even with the same two parties.
• Changes occur through divisions and coalitions of parties.
• There have been six distinctive party systems in U.S. history.

Electoral Realignments

• Electoral Realignments: Transitions during which a new party replaces the ruling party.
• They arise from new issues combined with crises that mobilize new voters and persuade existing voters to switch parties.
• Over the history of the United States, five realignments have occurred since the Founding.
• Current party politics reflect polarization and divided governance.

Third Parties and Independents

• Third parties represent interests not voiced by the two major parties and often exist as protest movements.
• They may influence major parties to address certain issues if taken seriously by the electorate and media.
• Example: Ralph Nader, a third-party candidate, won 3% of the popular vote in the 2000 election, potentially affecting the outcome favorably for George W. Bush.

Election Reforms

• U.S. election rules contribute to the dominance of a two-party system.
• Some advocates of election reform support Proportional Representation (PR):
  • In a PR system, government seats are allocated according to the percentage of votes each party receives.
• State ballot-access laws present hurdles for third parties, including registration fees and petition requirements.

Interest Groups

Definition

• Interest groups, also referred to as lobbies or special interests, are distinct from political action committees (PACs).
• PACs: Money-giving organizations created by interest groups.
• Interest groups focus on policy issues, while political parties aim to win elected office.

The Character of Interest Groups: Pluralism

• According to James Madison, effective government encourages a multitude of interests (factions).
• Pluralism Definition: The theory that all interests should be free to compete for influence in government, leading to compromise and moderation.

Types of Interest Groups

• Different types of interest groups include:
  • Corporate groups: Examples include AT&T and Boeing.
  • Labor groups: Such as AFL-CIO and Teamsters.
  • Professional associations: Like the American Bar Association.
  • Citizen or public interest groups: Example: Common Cause.
  • Ideological groups: Name: Christian Coalition.
  • Public-sector groups: National League of Cities.

The Free-Rider Dilemma

• Collective Goods: Benefits of a group’s success that are available to everyone, including those who do not join the group.
• This leads to the Free-Rider Problem where individuals have incentives to benefit from group efforts without joining.
• Example of Free-Rider Dilemma: Cleanup efforts against pollution—everyone benefits from cleaner air regardless of membership in the organizations working towards it.

Why Join Groups?

Overcoming the Free-Rider Problem

• Interest groups offer selective benefits to their members, which are exclusive to group members:
  • Informational benefits: Newsletters, programs, and conferences.
  • Material benefits: Special goods, services, and monetary benefits.
  • Solidary benefits: Friendship opportunities, networking, and social activities.
  • Purposive benefits: Advocacy and engagement in public causes.

Selective Benefits of Interest Group Membership

How Interest Groups Influence Congress

Lobbying

• Interest groups shape policy through lobbying:
  • Lobbying is a strategy employed by groups to influence the policy process via persuasion of public officials.
  • It includes various tactics such as face-to-face meetings with legislators, providing information on key legislation, and giving testimony before congressional committees.

Electoral Politics

• Interest groups strive to elect legislators who share their policy concerns.
• Political Action Committees (PACs):
  • These committees finance candidates and parties while being limited by federal laws on contributions, capped at $5,000 per election.
• Super PACs:
  • Can raise unlimited funds but cannot directly contribute or coordinate with candidates; they are limited to independent expenditures.

Mobilizing Public Opinion

• Interest groups aim to raise mass public awareness and support on specific issues through various strategies including:
  • Institutional Advertising: Designed to create a favorable public image for the organization.
  • Organizing protests and demonstrations.
  • Grassroots Mobilization: Encouraging members to petition Congress in support of the group’s objectives.

Using the Courts

• Interest groups can also influence public policy through litigation, employing three methods:
  • Bringing suit directly on behalf of the group.
  • Financing lawsuits initiated by individuals.
  • Filing amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs in existing court cases.
  • Such legal strategies are frequently utilized by groups like the NAACP.

Regulating Lobbying

• Lobbying activities are subject to regulation under federal law.
• The 2007 reform law prohibited lobbyists from paying for most meals, trips, and gifts for Congress members.
• Despite regulations, lobbyists have found ways to circumvent many rules.
• Notably, Citizens United v. F.E.C. has implications for campaign finance and lobbying regulations.