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Interest Groups, Lobbying & Money
I. IntroII. Interest Groups: DefinitionIII. Types
A. Public & Private • NRA, AARP
IV. TacticsA. Direct LobbyingB. Indirect Lobbying
• Civil DisobedienceC. $$$: Limits & Loopholes
Key Terms• Interest Groups• Telephone Tree• Mailings• PAC • MoveOn.org• EMILY’s LIST• McCain/Feingold• 527 Accounts• Citizens United• Negative Spending
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Definition
A group that tries to get the government to pass laws to help their cause.
Interest Group
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Types of Interest Groups
Public Interest Groups:
Lobby for causes to try to benefit all of society.
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Types of Interest GroupsPublic Interest Groups
Environmental Groups– PETA– Sierra Club
Religious Organizations– Christian Coalition– Operation Rescue (Single Issue)
Other– National Rifle Association (Single Issue)
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Types of Interest Groups
Private Interest Groups:
Lobby for causes to try to benefit members of their organization (MEMBERS ONLY).
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Types of Interest GroupsPrivate Interest Groups
• Professional OrganizationsAmerican Medical AssociationAmerican Bar AssociationNational Education Association
• Other Organizations“Older Americans”
• AARPBusinessesForeign Governments
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Tactics of Interest Groups
Direct Lobbying
Lobbyists speak directly with elected officials or members of their staff.
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Tactics of Interest Groups
Indirect Lobbying• Groups mobilize average Americans to shape
public opinion & place pressure on politicians
Telephone TreeMailingsCivil Disobedience$$$$
AARP
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Tactics of Interest Groups
Civil Disobedience
Violation of what is perceived to be an immoral law and accepting the punishment for violating those laws.
Why?-- to bring about publicity & hopefully change.
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Bus Boycott(Montgomery, AL, 1955-56)
Rosa Parks
(1913-2005)
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Money & Lobbying
PAC = Political Action Committee
A private group (corporation, labor union, interest group, etc.) that raises and spends money for use in elections.
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PACs Raising a lot of MoneyJanuary 1, 2007- December 31, 2008
• MoveOn.org
– Supports Liberal Democrats
• EMILY’s LIST
– Goal: Elect pro- choice women (primarily Democrats) to public office
Source: fec.gov press release 6/4/09
• NRA Political Victory Fund
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EMILY’S LISThttp://www.emilyslist.org/
• Early
• Money
• Is• Like
• Yeast
EMILY’S List Frontpage: 3/17/09
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http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/168449/may-13-2008/better-know-a-lobby---gun-control
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Federal Elections Commissionhttp://www.fec.gov/
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McCain/Feingold(2002 Reforms)
John McCain R-AZ
Russell Feingold D-WI
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McCain/Feingold-Contribution Limits
1. Individuals may directly contribute up to:
• $2,000 to a candidate• $5,000 to a single PAC
2. PACs may directly contribute up to:
• $5,000 to a candidate
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Contributions & 2008 Election(Hard Money: contributions to political parties & to
individual House & Senate Candidates)
• Democrats raised: $780.5 million• Republicans raised: +$640.8 million
$1,421,3 ($1.42 billion)
The money was raised between 1/07-12/08
Source: fec.gov disclosure map http://www.fec.gov/DisclosureSearch/mapHSApp.do
For the 1992 election they combined to raise:
$514 million
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Loopholes In The System
• “527 Accounts”
– No limits on contributions to 527 Account organizations
– But only “independent” advertisements are allowed
• Citizens United Decision
– Supreme Court decision allowed corporations to spend money on “independent” advertisements
Opponents of Supreme Court decision gather
outside the Court building
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NPR Story (10/14/2010)
• http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=130569589&m=130572270
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The Impact
Negative Spending
• Spending money to attack the credibility or political stances of an opponent
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2008 Election (Anti-McCain)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2reDdPPCQ0
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2008 Election (Anti-Obama)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHXYsw_ZDXg
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1964 Election (Lyndon Johnson)“Daisy Ad”
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Interest Groups, Lobbying & Money
I. IntroII. Interest Groups: DefinitionIII. Types
A. Public & Private • NRA, AARP
IV. TacticsA. Direct LobbyingB. Indirect Lobbying
• Civil DisobedienceC. $$$: Limits & Loopholes
Key Terms• Interest Groups• Telephone Tree• Mailings• PAC • MoveOn.org• EMILY’s LIST• McCain/Feingold• 527 Accounts• Citizens United• Negative Spending