Advanced Placement ® American Government and Politics

Advanced Placement® American Government and Politics

Unit III – Political Parties (8) and Interest Groups (11)

Part 2 – Interest Groups

What is an interest group?• Also called an “advocacy group”• Organization of people with shared policy goals

that try to influence the political process to achieve those goals

• Parties are policy generalists, while IG’s are policy specialists

• Huge explosion in recent times; 90% have HQs in Washington DC

• Interests primarily economic

Where to find lobbyists…DC’s K

Street.

Interest groups: Good or Evil? Alexis de Tocqueville• wrote Democracy in America• suggested that the ease with which Americans

form organizations is a reflection of a strong democratic culture

Federalist No. 10 warned of the dangers of "factions”• Madison noted that

the causes of actions were "sown in the nature of man”

• trying to eliminate factions would restrict liberty

• relief from factions should come from controlling their effects

Interest groups: Good or Evil?

This should mildly disturb you.

Interest groups are distinct from parties• Political parties

fight election battles; interest groups do not field candidates for office but may choose sides

The roles of interest groups What do interest groups do?• Representation: represent their constituents

before government• Participation: facilitate and stimulate people's

participation in politics• Education: educate their members, the public at

large, and government officials• Agenda building: the process by which new

issues are brought into the political limelight• Program monitoring: keeping track of

government programs

How do Interest Groups achieve their goals?• Supply credible information (most important role/tactic)• detailed/current info is political gold• most effective on narrow, technical issues

• Tactics:• Lobbying (political persuasion)• Electioneering (getting people into office, keeping

them there)—PACs• Litigation (look for amicus curiae briefs)

• THEN: “insider strategy” most common (face-to- face meeting b/w lobbyist and official)

• NOW: “outsider strategy” (“grassroots” public mobilization, thanks to modern technology; ex. MOVEON.ORG)

• Target: the undecided legislator or bureaucrat (“lobby ‘em!”)

The roles of interest groups

Theories of Interest Group PoliticsElite Theory• Societies are divided along class lines and

an upper-class elite rules, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization

Pluralist Theory• Politics is mainly a competition among groups,

each one pressing for its own preferred policiesHyperpluralist Theory• Groups are so strong that government is

weakened• an extreme, exaggerated form of pluralism

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Elites and the Denial of Pluralism• Real power is held by the relatively few.• Power elite theorists believe that a small number of super

rich individuals, powerful corporate interest groups, and large financial institutions dominate key policy areas

• Elite power is fortified by a system of interlocking

directorates of corporations, the wealthy and other institutions• Other groups may win many minor policy battles, but elites prevail when it comes to big policy decisions• Lobbying is a problem because it benefits the few at the

expense of the many

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Elites and the Denial of Pluralism• Power elite theorists point to the recent financial

crisis to illustrate their view of the close relationship between Wall Street interests and Washington policymakers• While ordinary Americans received small stimulus

checks, Wall Street banks received enormous federal bailouts

• As noted by the American Political Science Association, “Citizens with lower to moderate incomes speak with a whisper that is lost in the ears of inattentive government officials, while the advantaged roar with a clarity and consistency that policymakers readily hear and routinely follow.”

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Pluralism and group theory• lots of groups / highly

organized / no one group wins all the time

• Groups provide a key link between the people and the government

• some groups stronger then others (none always dominant)• not all groups have equal time with power• lobbying is open to all and should not be

regarded as a problem

Pluralism and group theory• While elitists point to the concentration of power,

pluralists emphasize that America’s fragmented federal system and division of power into three branches provides many points of access and influence• As a result, no one group can dominate the entire

system• Pluralists point out that interest groups lacking

financial resources can use their size and intensity to achieve their goals• For example, a determined interest group that

lacks legislative influence can turn to the courts for a favorable decision

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Hyperpluralism and interest group liberalism• pluralism out of control• interest group liberalism by Theodore Lowi• governments excessively refer to groups

• government listens / acts / advances nearly all agendas• created when government appeases:• government agencies proliferate• conflicting regulations expand• programs multiply• budget skyrockets

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Hyperpluralism and interest group liberalismEvidence:• iron triangles or

subgovernments• key interest group for

particular policy• government agency in

charge of administrating the policy

• members of congress that handle the policy

• relations between groups and government too cozy• hard choices rarely made• policy paralysis

Theories of Interest Group Politics (Details)

Hyperpluralism and interest group liberalism• When political leaders try to appease competing

interest groups, they often create policies that are confusing and at times contradictory• As a result, legislators avoid making hard

choices that are in the national interest • For example, public health groups have

successfully convinced the government to launch vigorous antismoking campaign

• At the same time, interest groups representing tobacco farmers have successfully lobbied the government to subsidize their crop

What makes an interest group successful?

Group Success (cause)• many factors suggest

success• size of the group• Intensity• financial resources

What makes an interest group successful?

Intensity• intensity can motivate a large group (abortion)• politicians will listen to active, motivated,

intense groups• single issue group• narrow, issue

oriented group, dislikes compromise, single-mindedly pursues goal

What makes an interest group successful?

Group Failure• collective good• something of value that can not

be withheld from a potential group member• clean air, higher minimum wage

• free rider problem• when potential

members decide not to join

• free riders benefit, but do not contribute

Law of Large Groups• created by Mancur Olson• bigger the group, bigger free rider problem• need a selective benefit to entice membership

①information publications②Insurance③travel discounts

What makes an interest group successful?

Types of Interest Groups• Economic Interests

• Labor

• Agriculture

• Business

• Environmental Interests

• Equality Interests

• Consumer and Public Interest Lobbies

MINNESOTA

Interest Groups and Democracy• James Madison’s solution to the problems posed

by interest groups was to create a wide-open system in which groups compete• Pluralists believe that the public interest

would prevail from this competition• Elite theorists

point to the proliferation of business PACs as evidence of interest group corruption

• Hyperpluralists maintain that group influence has led to policy gridlock

PACs (Political Action Committee)• set up by and representing a corporation, union,

IG, political candidate that raises & spends campaign contributions on behalf of candidates or causes

• Rapid growth in PACs, but probably hasn’t led to vote-buying (???); $ is available on both sides of issues

• Most members of Congress vote ideology or constituency; but it IS a political issue

PACs (Political Action Committee)Over 4,600 active, registered PACs

Connected PACs• established by businesses, labor unions, trade

groups, or health organizations• receive and raise money from a "restricted class,"

generally consisting of managers and shareholders in the case of a corporation and members in the case of a union or other interest group

Non-connected PACs • ideological mission, single-issue groups, and

members of Congress and other political leaders • may accept funds from any individual, business

PAC or organization

PACs (Political Action Committee)Super PACs

• Since 2010, "independent-expenditure only committees”

• can raise unlimited sums from corporations, unions and other groups, as well as wealthy individuals.

• made possible by two court rulings that lifted many spending and contribution limits.

• can also mount the kind of direct attacks on candidates that were not allowed in the past.

• Super PACs are not allowed to coordinate directly with candidates or political parties and must disclose their donors

Leadership PACs: • established by a member of Congress to support

other candidates• non-connected PACs, and can accept donations from

an individual, business or other PACs • cannot spend fund to directly support the campaign

of its sponsor (through mail or ads)• may fund travel, administrative expenses,

consultants, polling, and other non-campaign expenses

• Can also contribute to the campaigns of other candidates

• Between 2008 and 2009, leadership PACs raised and spent more than $47 million.

PACs (Political Action Committee)

527 organization• can take a stand on an issue, but cannot directly

contribute to candidates• cannot explicitly endorse a candidate• can accept contributions of unlimited size • can indirectly criticize candidates by emphasizing

an issue that illuminates the difference between candidates