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Special Interest Groups

Special Interest Groups. Unit 2 http://www.ncsl.org/public/trust/opinionpoll.htm. Interest Groups. Private organization that tries to persuade public officials to respond to shared attitudes Try to influence public policy (laws) Lobbying Try to influence legislators and laws

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Special Interest Groups

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  1. Special Interest Groups Unit 2 http://www.ncsl.org/public/trust/opinionpoll.htm

  2. Interest Groups • Private organization that tries to persuade public officials to respond to shared attitudes • Try to influence public policy (laws) • Lobbying • Try to influence legislators and laws • Lobbyist- activist usually paid by an interest group to promote their positions to legislatures • Lobbyist can also work to change public opinion through advertising campaigns or by influencing 'opinion leaders’

  3. How are they different from Parties? • Don’t nominate candidate • Interested in controlling policiesnot offices • Concentrate on only a few issues and not accountable to the public

  4. Good or Bad? Good • Create an interest in public affairs • Bring people together based on ideas • Provide useful information to Gov’t • Get people involved • Checks and Balances • Create competition

  5. Good or Bad Bad • Too much influence • Who is represented? • Bribery and other corruption

  6. Types of Interest Groups Economic Interests • Business Groups • Labor Groups • Agricultural Groups • Professional Groups Others • Promote Causes • Promote Welfare • Religious http://www.csuchico.edu/~kfountain/alpha.html

  7. http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=Philip+Morris&year=2002http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/clientsum.asp?txtname=Philip+Morris&year=2002 • http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/index.asp

  8. Public Interest Groups • Goals is to benefit all or most people not just a specific group • Focus on issues that all Americans share http://www.illinoispirg.org/ http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_group.php

  9. Political Action Committees (PACs) • Single Interest Groups • Organization established by businesses, labor unions, and other interest groups • Work to financially support political campaigns that support their cause • Over 4,000 PACs registered today • In response to laws limiting union dues to support candidates • Most PAC money goes to incumbents

  10. PACs http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.asp

  11. PACs Top 7 Contributors ‘99-’00 • Emily’s List $12,288,422 www.emilyslist.org • NRA Political Victory Fund $10,786,466 www.nrapvf.org • American Federation of State County & Municipal $6,465,424 Employees www.afscme.org • Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education $5,501,792 (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) www.teamster.org

  12. PACs Top 7 Contributors ‘99-’00 • UAW –V-CAP (United Auto Workers) $4,531,700 www.uaw.org • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Committee on Public Education $4,227,442 www.ibew.com • American Medical Association Political Action Committee $4,021,519 ampaconline.org/default.php

  13. Personal Assetshttp://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.asp?type=W&cycle=2005&filter=S Contribution Limits • http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/contriblimits.shtml#fn4

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