INTEREST GROUPS

1. INTEREST GROUPS Chapter 16 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. POLITICAL INTEREST GROUPS “man is by nature a political animal” - Aristotle

5. ALEXIS DE TOQUEVILLE, DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA • “Americans are always forming associations…”

6. 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.

7. 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

9. 3 CHARACTERISTICS OF INTEREST GROUPS • SHARED INTERESTS AND GOALS • ORGANIZED STRUCTURE • WANT TO INFLUENCE POLICY

10. POLITICAL PARTIES ARE NOT INTEREST GROUPS!

11. DIFFERENCES INTEREST GROUPS POLITICAL PARTIES BROAD FOCUS ELECTION FOCUS MAINSTREAM • NARROW FOCUS • POLICY FOCUS • IDEOLOGICAL

12. SIMILARITIES • SELF-INTERESTED • FACTIONS (REMEMBER FEDERALIST 10?) • SUPPLEMENT & USE EACH OTHER • RAISE AWARENESS • RECRUIT, RAISE $$$, & EDUCATE • FORM OF PARTICIPATION (REMEMBER 1ST AMENDMENT)

13. Theories of Interest Group Politics • Pluralist Theory (DAHL) • Interest group activity brings representation to all. Groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political arena. • Elite Theory (C.W. MILLS) • A few groups (primarily the wealthy) have the most power. • Hyperpluralist Theory • Too many groups are getting too much of what they want, resulting in government policy that is often contradictory and lacking direction.

14. TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS ECONOMIC - BUSINESS

15. EONOMIC - LABOR

16. EONOMIC - AGRICULTURE

17. PROFESSIONAL/TRADE GROUPS

18. PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS

19. SINGLE ISSUE GROUPS

20. IDEOLOGICAL GROUPS

21. CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS

22. RELIGIOUS GROUPS

23. GOVERNMENT GROUPS

24. ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS

25. COMMUNITY

26. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

27. WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN? • SOLIDARY INCENTIVES • MATERIAL INCENTIVES • PURPOSIVE INCENTIVES • THE NEXT 3 SLIDES WILL • EXPLAIN THESE INCENTIVES

28. WHY DO PEOPLE JOIN THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY? TO BE WITH OTHERS LIKE THEMSELVES

29. WHAT DO SENIORS GET WHEN THEY JOIN AARP?

30. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 2 million members and supporters.PETA focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. We also work on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of beavers, birds, and other "pests" as well as cruelty to domesticated animals. PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.

31. 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.

32. What IG’s Do. • Raise participation • Increase issue awareness • May contribute to inequality • Litigation via the courts

33. Lobbying • Insiders and old boy network • Access • Many lobbyists recruited from House • Senate members • Congress - Committee action • Executive – President’s Aides • Courts – not always, amicus curiae • Mobilization

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

35. Revolving Door Concept Government Sector Official Private Sector Official

36. ELECTIONEERNING ELECTIONEERING GROUPS FORM PACs WHO CONTRIBUTE $$$ 608 IN 1974 - 4,657 IN 2012 PACs GIVE HEAVILY TO INCUMBENTS - WHY?

37. Top PAC Contributors to Candidates, 2011-2012 PAC Total AmountDem Rep Honeywell Intl. $1,644.583 35% 65% Nat’l Assn Retailers $1,628.900 45% 54% Nat’l Beer & Wine $1,511.500 42% 58% AT&T $1,355.000 37% 64% Int’l Brotherhood $1,319.150 98% 2%

38. Top Spenders 1998-2012 Act Blue $58,511,226 AT&T Inc $48,196,209 American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees $47,347,798 National Assn of Realtors $41,687,376 Goldman Sachs $37,343,517 American Assn for Justice $35,673,179 Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $34,821,537 National Federation of Teachers $32,833,966 Laborers Union $32,409,200 Teamsters Union $31,523,128 Based on data released by the FEC on March 4, 2012.

41. ELECTIONEERING • ENDORSING CANDIDATES • GROUP MEMBERS WILL USUALLY VOTE FOR WHO THE GROUP LEADERS SAY • WHY?

43. LITIGATION GO TO COURT IF LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FAILS, OR IS TOO SLOW FILE LAW SUITS, FILE AMICUS CURIAE , SPONSOR “TEST” CASES

44. WHAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS INTEREST GROUP VICTORY IN COURT? HE ARGUED THE CASE IN 1954 BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT HE ARGUED WHAT CASE IN 1954 BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT?

45. David B. Truman in The Governmental Process (Woll Reader) • “ In order to make claims, political groups will seek access to the key points of decision within the institutions of government” • TRUMAN STATES SUCCESS • DEPENDS ON GROUP’S: • Strategic position in society • Internal features • Connections already existing in government

46. WHICH GROUP IS PERCEIVED AS MORE POPULAR ? WHY?

47. WHICH TACTIC IS MORE ACCEPTABLE? OR State Legislative Protocol: providing tips on how to contact Your Representative?

48. INTERNAL FEATURES • INTERNAL FEATURES GOALS APPROPRIATE & PRACTICAL? • ORGANIZED TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE? • RESOURCES (PEOPLE & $$$)? • LEADERS (SKILLFUL, POPULAR)?

49. Why So Successful? Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that> Dr. Martin Luther King

50. Why Unsuccessful?