Chapter 10

Interest Groups and the American Political

Tradition Interest group: organized group of

individuals who share some goals and want to INFLUENCE public policy (LAWS) Lobbyists can be employees or volunteers

A threat to the political system or contributors to its proper functioning? Alexis de Tocqueville James Madison

Federalist 10: http://wwwlcengage.com/politicalscience/janda

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Figure 10.1

Investing in Public Policy

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The Roles of Interest Groups

Negative: Each group pushes its own selfish interests

Positive: Represent people before their government Provide vehicle for political participation Educate members, the public, and elected

officials Highlight new issues through agenda

building Monitor programs important to members

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Figure 10.2

Labor Pains

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How Interest Groups Form

Pluralists view interest groups as positive way to foster discussion about issues Groups form as needed

However, group organization not always a given Or ineffective groups may form

Also important to consider how well a group is represented

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Interest Group Entrepreneur

Skills of interest group entrepreneur forming group key

Development of United Farm Workers good example of the importance of leadership Initial efforts to organize farm workers failed Cesar Chavez’s efforts and tactics made

group a viable force in negotiations for better wages and working conditions

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No Contract, No Wine!

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Who is Being Organized?

Main factors in successful interest group formation: Presence of adverse change or disturbance Strong leadership High socioeconomic level of potential

members Well-to-do, educated, and politically experienced

Not all interest groups have real membership

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Interest Group Resources MEMBERS -one of the most valuable

resources Pool of potential voters Source of financial resources

Groups use newsletters and emails to keep membership informed of work Membership retention key

New members needed to increase resources and influence Internet important in this effort

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The Free-Rider Problem Many persons and businesses support a

group’s goals but see no need to join

Benefits of a group’s efforts not always limited to that group Public television and radio

Many times groups offer other benefits only to members Information and networking

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Lobbyists Persons who represent the organization

before the government and provide information to the membership

Can be full-time employees of the organization or hired on retainer

Important to lobbying success: skill, knowledge, and contacts Primary job is to pass information on to

government officials

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You Got Problems? Call Us

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Political Action Committees

Organization designed to pool contributions from group members

Donations then made to candidates for political office Can be affiliated with an interest group

or corporation, or organized separately Limited to $5,000 per congressional

candidate in each separate election Contributions in 2008 totaled $413

million from 3,600 PACs

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Largest PACs

Name of PAC Contributions in Last 2-year Reporting Cycle

National Association of Realtors

$4.0 million

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

$3.3 million

National Beer Wholesalers $2.9 million

American Bankers Association

$2.8 million

United Parcel Service $2.1 million15

Political Action Committees

PACs pragmatic and adaptable

Want to achieve immediate policy goals

Political scientists have found no direct link between the way members of Congress vote and PAC contributions Contributions do seem to affect work in

congressional committees

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Figure 10.3

Friendship is a Wonderful Thing

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Lobbying Tactics Tactics depend on stage of process and

institution targeted

Three major types of lobbying tactics: Direct lobbying Grassroots lobbying Information campaigns

Groups also use coalitions to influence policymaking

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Figure 10.4

The Tactics of Advocacy

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Politics of Global Change

European Union formed in 1992 by the Treaty of Maastricht

Currently 27 member countries Purpose is to harmonize

economies of member countries Fragmented government;

structure facilitates pluralist system and many interest groups

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Lobbyists Swarm at theEuropean Union

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Direct Lobbying Personal contact with policymakers

Not directly asking for a certain vote Lobbyists must provide good data to frame

issue in light most positive to their viewpoint

Testifying at public hearings or committee hearings

Legal advocacy, or litigation

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Sanchez Reaches Out

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Grassroots Lobbying Involves members of an interest group

May include supportive outsiders

Many tactics used, sometimes together with direct lobbying Letters, emails, faxes, and phone calls Demonstrations and protests Direct lobbying by important members

Internet facilitates communication and coordination of efforts

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Tea Party Activists

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An Image That Angered a Nation

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Information Campaigns

Organized efforts to bring an interest group’s viewpoints to the public to gain public backing

Public relations campaigns Sponsoring research

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Coalition Building

Where several organizations band together to lobby Use resources more efficiently Usually informal arrangements Diverse coalitions strongest

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Is the System Biased? American political system more

pluralist than majoritarian

Among Western democracies, U.S. is one of most pluralistic nations

For fairness, all interests in population must be represented and government should listen to the views of all major interests

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Pluralism Worldwide

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Membership Patterns Public opinion surveys show some sectors

of society better represented than others Bias towards the well-off financially

One survey: “the 10 percent of adults who work in an executive, managerial, or administrative capacity are represented by 82 percent” of organizations involved in advocacy on economic issues

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Citizen Groups Lobbying organizations built around policy

concerns unrelated to members’ vocational interests Benefits largely ideological and aesthetic “Public interest” groups

Some groups supported by other sources than their membership

These groups have “free riders” who benefit from programs without directly supporting the organization

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Business Mobilization Businesses mobilized in 1970s and

1980s when new regulatory agencies established

Business organizations can mobilize both members and their corporations

Much greater resources than citizen groups Business interests often divided, with one

industry facing another

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Figure 10.5

Interest Group Participants

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A Lott of Connections

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Reform Difficult to eliminate or reduce biases in

interest group system

Interest groups are organized way to petition government

If advantages of some groups too great, restrictions can be imposed Campaign finance reform efforts; restrictions

on PACs; disclosure rules for lobbyists Recent Supreme Court ruling on corporate

contributions negates some restrictions

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