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INTEREST GROUPS

INTEREST GROUPS. Chapter 11a O’Connor and Sabato American Government: Continuity and Change. INTEREST GROUPS. In this chapter we will cover … What Are Interest Groups? The Roots and Development of American Interest Groups What Do Interest Groups Do?

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INTEREST GROUPS

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  1. INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 11a O’Connor and Sabato American Government: Continuity and Change

  2. INTEREST GROUPS In this chapter we will cover… • What Are Interest Groups? • The Roots and Development of American Interest Groups • What Do Interest Groups Do? • What Makes an Interest Group Successful?

  3. What Are Interest Groups? • Interest Group (special interests) is an organization of people with similar policy goals that tries to influence the political process to try to achieve those goals. • Interest groups try to influence every branch and every level of government.

  4. The Roots and Development of American Interest Groups • Interest groups have been part of the American political landscape since the country’s founding. • James Madison in Federalist #10 argued for a proliferation of groups so that no one group could get hegemony over the other groups. • The open nature of the American government invites organized political participation.

  5. The Roots and Development of American Interest Groups • National Groups Emerge (1830-80) • Progressive Era (1890-1920) • Organized Labor – the American Federation of Labor (AFL) (1886) • Business and Trade Associations – The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) (1895) • The Rise of the Interest Group State (1960s and 1970s) • Religious and Ideological Groups • Business Groups, Trade and Professional Associations • Organized Labor

  6. What Do Interest Groups Do? • The most common and effective interest group technique is lobbying or seeking to influence and persuade others to support your group's position. • Lobbyists are hired by your college or university, businesses, foreign countries, trade associations, and anyone else wanting their voice heard on policy matters. • A Lobbyists is someone whose task it is to influence legislation or policymaking.

  7. Direct Techniques: Lobbying Private meetings Testifying Drafting Legislation Social Occasions Providing Political Info Supplying Nomination suggestions Indirect Techniques: Generating Public Pressure Groundswell of public pressure Use Constituents as Lobbyists Building Alliances with other groups Interest Groups Techniques

  8. Honest Lobbyists • A lobbyist must be honest and truthful if he or she wants to remain effective. • Access to lawmakers is critical and if a lobbyist gets a reputation of being untruthful or disingenuous legislators doors will close. • Of course, lobbyists put their group's position in a favorable light but good lobbyists will also make lawmakers aware of the downsides of a bill and the arguments on the other side as well.

  9. What Makes an Interest Group Successful? In general three factors tend to lead to interest group success: • Leaders – having a prominent leader aids in the reputation of the group and enhances a group's ability to attain its goals. • Patrons and Funding – funding is critical. Without money, it is hard to get your message out. • Members – a group must have members to be successful. Organizing members allows for strength in numbers and pooling of financial support.

  10. Pluralism and its Critics • Three criticism of pluralism are • It gives short shrift to those who are not organized. • It fails to deal with the fact that some interests have more power than others. • It seems to leave no room for consideration of transcendent national interests. • Pluralist theory argues that interest group activity brings representation to all. • Interest groups compete and counterbalance one another.

  11. Hyperpluralist Theory Hyperpluralist argue that when interest groups become so powerful that they dominate the political decision-making structures they render any consideration of the greater public interest impossible.

  12. Criticism Interest Groups Interest Groups have been criticized for • Ignoring the wider interest of society • Producing confusion and deadlock in Congress • Generating so much emotion that they make reasoned discussion difficult • Having too much influence

  13. Important Points to Think About • Interest Groups • Promote interest in public affairs • Provide useful information • Serve as watchdogs • Represent the interest of Citizens

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