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Influence

Influence. Freewrite. Do trailer parks cause tornadoes? Why or why not? Why would somebody ask that? Why do I ask? Don’t forget to turn this in for participation credit!. Tornados and trailer parks. The problem of “buying votes”. Interest groups do give

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Influence

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  1. Influence

  2. Freewrite Do trailer parks cause tornadoes? Why or why not? Why would somebody ask that? Why do I ask? • Don’t forget to turn this in for participation credit!

  3. Tornados and trailer parks

  4. The problem of “buying votes” • Interest groups do give • To members on committees important to their policy area • More money right before an important vote • Members do vote with the groups that give them money • Problem of simultaneous causation

  5. Which is cause and which is effect?

  6. When members of Congress decide how to cast a vote, what do they consider?

  7. How do members of Congress make decisions?

  8. How do MC’s make decisions? • Fellow members • Constituents • Interest Groups • President • Party • Staff

  9. Complexity of Interest Group influence Campaign Contributions & lobbying Constituents Going public Member of Congress Interest Group Party loyalty Campaign contributions/ revolving door Other members

  10. Interest groups and the public • Get own members to write to/visit member of Congress • Particularly MC’s own constituents! • Lobby the public • Get journalists to cover group’s issue/research/demonstrations • Run TV ads about upcoming vote • Take part in the culture war

  11. Complexity of Interest Group influence Campaign Contributions & lobbying Constituents Going public Member of Congress Interest Group Party loyalty Campaign contributions/ revolving door Other members

  12. Methodological issues • Of course they’d say that. • Is there a mechanism? • How to take all factors into account? • “Statistics”!

  13. Research conclusions • PAC contributions don’t buy votes on issues that constituents are aware of, or party cares about • PAC Contributions may influence… • committee votes on amendments • level of member activity • tax and regulatory bills (low profile) more than spending bills

  14. How could we prove that campaign contributions/access/lobbying affects congressional outcomes?

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