Chapter 10: Interest Groups

Interest Groups Introduction

• Course Context: Presented by Millican Hall at UCF.

• Primary focus on interest groups and their influence in politics.

Federalist No. 10 - Misfiches of Factions

How are the Mischiefs of Factions Cured?

1. Remove Causes:

   • A. Eliminate liberty.

   • B. Remove diverse opinions.

2. Remove Effects:

   • A. Minority factions controlled by elections.

   • B. Majority factions:

     1. Prevent similar interests and passions from dominating.

     2. Render the majority incapable of executing harmful schemes.

   • Quote: “The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man.”

     • Majority passions are particularly dangerous.

Forms of Government:

• A. Pure Democracy:

  • Lacks checks to prevent majority faction dominance.

• B. Republic:

  1. Elected representatives refine and enlarge public views.

  2. Representatives reflect the public good.

  3. Risk of representatives betraying public interest.

  4. Best Safeguard:

     • An extensive republic:

     1. More candidates available for selection.

     2. Greater difficulty for unworthy candidates to rise in large electorates.

  5. Extended Republic:

     • Larger number of interests makes it challenging for majority factions to combine.

Interest Groups Overview

• Definition:

  • Organizations aiming to influence government policies on issues affecting their members.

• Theoretical Basis:

  • Pluralist theory exemplified in practice.

Functions of Interest Groups

1. Raise Awareness:

   • Educate members and the public on public affairs.

2. Representation:

   • Serve as a link between members and government.

3. Information Provision:

   • Supply data and testimony beneficial for public policy formulation.

4. Political Participation:

   • Provide channels for collective action toward common goals.

Types of Interest Groups

A. Economic Interest Groups

1. Labor Groups:

   • Promote and safeguard organized labor interests.

   • Examples: AFL-CIO, Teamsters.

2. Business Groups:

   • Advocate for general business interests.

   • Examples: Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers.

3. Professional Groups:

   • Maintain professional standards, host meetings, publish journals.

   • Examples: National Education Association, American Medical Association, American Bar Association.

4. Agricultural Groups:

   • Advocate for general agricultural interests.

   • Example: National Farmers Union.

B. Cause Promotion Groups

1. Specific Causes:

   • Examples: American Civil Liberties Union, National Rifle Association.

2. Welfare of Specific Groups:

   • Examples: American Association of Retired Persons; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

3. Religion-Related Causes:

   • Examples: National Council of Churches; American Jewish Congress.

C. Public Interest Groups

• Focus on broad issues such as environment, consumer protection, crime, and civil rights.

• Examples: Common Cause, League of Women Voters, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Strategies of Interest Groups

1. Election Influence:

   • Encourage voting for supportive candidates and influence party platforms.

   • Campaign contributions via political action committees.

2. Lobbying:

   • Efforts to sway policymakers through data provision to justify their perspectives.

   • Types of Lobbying:

     • A. Direct Lobbying: Personal interaction between lobbyists and policymakers.

     • B. Grassroots Lobbying: Mobilizing public support through letters, emails, calls.

     • C. Coalition Lobbying: Collaboration among groups with common objectives.

3. Litigation:

   • Legal action taken to address issues when congressional support fails; e.g., NAACP against segregation in the 1950s.

4. Going Public:

   • Public relations efforts to raise issue awareness and improve public image of the group.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

1. Definition:

   • Formed as political arms of interest groups.

2. Federal Regulations:

   • Must register with federal government, raise funds from multiple contributors, support multiple candidates, and adhere to strict accounting practices.

Regulation of Interest Groups

A. The Lobbying Disclosure Act

• Requirements:

  • Registration of lobbyists if lobbying directed at:

    1. Members of Congress.

    2. Congressional staff.

    3. Executive branch policymakers.

  • Mandates more comprehensive disclosures about lobbying activities and clients.

Iron Triangle

• Description:

  • Interconnected relationship among Congress, Interest Groups, and the Bureaucracy.

  • Roles:

  1. Congress provides electoral support to interest groups.

  2. Interest groups provide political support and funding back to Congress.

  3. Bureaucracy facilitates friendly legislation and policy execution for interest groups.

  4. Each entity benefits, often leading to mutual advantages of low regulation and special favors for interest groups.

Conclusion

• Contextual emphasis on the role of interest groups in shaping policy and their complex relationships with government institutions.