Aim: How do interest groups influence U. S. government and politics?

1. Aim: How do interest groups influence U. S. government and politics? • What is an interest group? • Why do we have so many interest groups in the United States? • What do you know about PACs? • What do you already know about Super PACs? • What is the difference between an institutional interest group and a membership interest group?

3. Aim: How do interest groups influence U. S. government and politics? What has contributed to the “rise” of interest groups in the United States? • Broad economic developments • Government policy helps • Individuals • More government involvement leads to the formation of more interest groups

5. Aim: How do interest groups influence U. S. government and politics? • What incentives are there for joining an interest group? • What is a public interest lobby? • How do social movements give rise to interest groups? • Are all environmental groups the same? • What are some feminist groups? What’s their ideology?

7. Aim: How do interest groups influence U. S. government and politics? • How do interest groups raise funds? • Who gets more PAC money – incumbents or challengers? • How large is the typical PAC contribution? • Corporate PACs make up ____% of all PACs. • Labor PACs give to which party? • Corporate PACs give to which party? • Who gets more PAC $ - Democrats or Republicans?

9. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? INTEREST GROUPS AND BIAS??? • Upper-class bias – why? • Yeah, but cleavages exist within upper class – effect?

11. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? Do Now: Why does the U.S. have so many more interest groups than most other democracies?

13. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? What activities do interest groups engage in? • Information • Money and PACs (also Super PACs) • Litigation (lawsuits) • Public Support • INSIDER VS. OUTSIDER APPROACH

15. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? • How do interest groups “make trouble”? • Why is this a “win,win” for interest groups? (And, a “lose,lose” for government officials?) • Can you think of interest groups that have used mass demonstrations to bring about change?

16. Occupy Wallstreet

17. Black Lives Matter

18. Opt Out Movement in Education

19. Right to Life

20. WTO Protests: “Making Trouble”

21. WTO Protests: “Making Trouble”

22. WTO Protests: “Making Trouble”

23. U.C. Davis Pepper Spray

24. Take out your essay packet2004 #2

25. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? How are interest groups (lobbying) regulated? • PACs • Super PACs and Citizens United ruling (2010) • 1946 law • 1995 law • …problems?

27. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? • What is meant by the “revolving door”? (see text)

29. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? • What has happened to union membership since 1960s? • Ideological PACs raise more, but spend less. Why?

30. Aim: How do interest groups influence U.S. government and politics? • How are interest groups helpful to American politics? • How are interest groups harmful to American politics? • On balance…more helpful or harmful? • Reforms?

36. SUMMARY • Why are there so many interest groups in the U.S.? • What are the two basic types of interest groups? • What is the trend in regard to interest groups since the 1960s? How does it relate to the trend regarding the strength of political parties? • What is a PAC?

37. SUMMARY • How have social movements impacted the development of interest groups? • What activities do interest groups use to affect public policy? • What is the difference between an insider strategy and an outsider strategy? • What is meant by the “revolving door”? • How are interest groups regulated?