c hapter 11 i nterest g roups copyright © 2012 cengage learning

CCHAPTERHAPTER 11 11IINTERESTNTEREST G GROUPSROUPS

CCHAPTERHAPTER 11 11IINTERESTNTEREST G GROUPSROUPSCopyright © 2012 Cengage Learning

CHAPTER 11: LEARNING CHAPTER 11: LEARNING OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

Appreciate the function of interest groups as a mechanism by which groups of people attempt to influence government to advance shared goals

Assess both the benefits and criticisms of the interest group system in the United States

Copyright © 2012 Cengage Learning


Define pluralism as the theory that public policy is largely the product of a variety of different interest groups competing with one another to promote laws that benefit members of their respective groups

Compare the role of interest groups to that of political parties



Understand the reasons for the growth of interest groups in the United States during the twentieth century

Evaluate the critical role interest groups play in influencing policy making through structures such as iron triangles and issue networks



Assess solidary benefits as one of the reasons people join interest groups

Explain the “free rider” problem that many interest groups face

Assess the factors that contribute to each interest group’s level of influence on policy



Distinguish between economic interest groups and noneconomic interest groups according to their primary purpose and cite examples of each type of group

Identify the activities interest groups engage in to achieve their goals and influence public policy


LOBBYING SCANDALS WITH A RING LOBBYING SCANDALS WITH A RING OF FAMILIARITY: NOW & THENOF FAMILIARITY: NOW & THEN

Lobbying legislators may be a time-honored practice, however,

Legislative favors in return for financial interests can quickly cross the line and betray the public trust

A group’s original cause may be noble, but corruption can destroy public faith


ABBE LOWELL/AP PHOTO


NOW … NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES NOW … NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES AND JACK ABRAMOFFAND JACK ABRAMOFF

The 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act allowed tribe-run casinos on reservations

In the 1990s, tribal leaders hired lobbyist Jack Abramoff

Initially, Abramoff was very successful in protecting tribal interests in Congress, however…


NOW … NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES NOW … NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES AND JACK ABRAMOFFAND JACK ABRAMOFF

Abramoff was accused of bribing U.S. Congressmen with gifts and donations

Also defrauded the tribes: overbilled them and orchestrated lobbying activities against his own clients

Pleaded guilty to numerous charges and named the Congressmen who had benefited from his “generosity”


BRADY-HANDY PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS DIVISION


THEN… THE UNION PACIFIC THEN… THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD RAILROAD

After the Civil War, railroads were the dominant interest in Washington, D.C.

Oakes Ames, an influential House member, obtained Union Pacific construction contracts for his family firm

A front company, Crédit Mobilier, funneled money back to the railroads through their own construction contracts


THEN… THE UNION PACIFIC THEN… THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD RAILROAD

Ames allowed members of Congress to purchase railroad shares at face rather than market value

In return, they ignored illegal transactions

The railroad went bankrupt in the 1870s and Ames was censured

But many politicians escaped merely with “the embarrassment of public exposure”


NOW & THEN…NOW & THEN…No one questions the importance of the

railways during the post–Civil War period, and

Native Americans, downtrodden for so long, gaining economic prominence in the 1990s, was welcomed by many

Unfortunately, aggressive lobbying on behalf of these two groups went too far


PLURALISM AND THE INTEREST PLURALISM AND THE INTEREST GROUP SYSTEMGROUP SYSTEM

What Is an Interest Group?Aka - “pressure group” or “organized

interest” Organization of people with shared

goals that tries to influence public policy through a variety of activities

Allows them to protect or advance their interests


PLURALISM AND THE INTEREST PLURALISM AND THE INTEREST GROUP SYSTEMGROUP SYSTEM

Pluralism: theory that public policy largely results from interest groups competing with one another to promote laws that benefit their members

Majoritarianism: theory that public policy is a product of what majorities of citizens prefer


AMERICAN GOVERNMENT… IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT… IN POPULAR PERSPECTIVEPOPULAR PERSPECTIVE

In the Words of French Political Philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville

After touring the U.S., de Tocqueville wrote Democracy in America (1835):

Observed that U.S. “associations” are a “necessary guarantee against the tyranny of the majority”


THE PROS AND CONS OF THE PROS AND CONS OF INTEREST GROUPSINTEREST GROUPS

The Pros: Provide all groups with an opportunity to

win support for their ideas and positions Joining groups and working for the

interests of the group is a natural inclination of citizens and should be encouraged



Association is implicitly protected by the First Amendment which affords individuals the right “…peaceably to assemble…”

The system is fair in that it gives all groups an equitable opportunity to compete



The Cons: Unfair because groups supported by the

wealthy have far greater resources to promote their interests

Promotes advancement of interests that don’t always strive for the common good, i.e., large, profit-conscious corporations



Too many groups slow policy making to a state of gridlock

Interest group leaders are not elected, thus interest group dominance of the system is an affront to democracy

Groups concentrate benefits for the few while distributing costs to the many


INTEREST GROUPS VERSUS INTEREST GROUPS VERSUS POLITICAL PARTIESPOLITICAL PARTIES

Parties and interest groups differ in two important ways:1. Most interest groups don’t run candidates for

office

2. Groups tend to focus narrowly on special issues or sets of issues while the major parties are more generalist


Women and children in 1890 labor at a food processing plant.TIME LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES


INTEREST GROUPS AND SOCIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTSMOVEMENTS

Many movements have been propelled by interest group activities

Political Example: women’s suffrage

Economic Example: labor and consumer rights

Social Example: the civil rights movements


THE GROWTH OF INTEREST THE GROWTH OF INTEREST GROUPSGROUPS

As the number of government programs and agencies has expanded

Opportunities for influence via interest group activities have expanded as well

1960–2000: the number of groups increased 400% (5,843 to 23,298)

Lobbying spending increased from $1.43 billion (1998) to $3.47 billion (2009)


AMERICAN GOVERNMENT… IN AMERICAN GOVERNMENT… IN POPULAR PERSPECTIVEPOPULAR PERSPECTIVE

AARP: The Behemoth of Interest Group Politics

One of the largest, most popular groups in America (over 40 million members)

2009: spent $30 million in lobbyingIts size and activities have invited

criticisms and led to some controversiesCopyright © 2012 Cengage Learning

WILLIAM THOMAS CAIN/GETTY IMAGES


IRON TRIANGLES, ISSUE NETWORKS, IRON TRIANGLES, ISSUE NETWORKS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF GROUPS AND THE INFLUENCE OF GROUPS

1. Congressional committees and subcommittees over a specific policy area +

2. Executive agencies administrating policies in this area +

3. Interest groups seeking to influence the policy area = iron triangles



They may not always agree but they seek to promote favorable policies

Depend on one another for support and influence

Together, they dominate public policy development

Example: U.S. defense policiesCopyright © 2012 Cengage Learning


Issue networks: broader set of actors who have a vested interest in an area of public policy, and

Try to collectively influence their policy area, i.e., Congressional staff, journalists who report on

the policy area, and experts


MEMBERSHIP IN GROUPSMEMBERSHIP IN GROUPS

Many citizens, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public entities belong to interest groups

Individuals who are more likely to belong to interest groups often have higher incomes and greater resources

Often are better educated and employed in professional occupations


MEMBERSHIP IN GROUPSMEMBERSHIP IN GROUPS

Reasons for membership:Material benefits: specific, tangible

benefitsPurposive benefits: rewards benefiting

society more generallySolidary benefits: satisfaction from

interacting with like-minded individuals for a cause


WHAT MAKES SOME GROUPS WHAT MAKES SOME GROUPS MORE POWERFUL THAN OTHERS?MORE POWERFUL THAN OTHERS?1. Size of the membership:

Power in numbers, i.e., AFBF

2. Wealth of the members Increased contributions, i.e., ATLA

3. Dedication of members to the goals of the group Time, effort, and resources, i.e., NRLC


CHECK THE LISTCHECK THE LIST

The Top Ten Most Influential Interest Groups

Fortune magazine annually identifies the top ten most influential interest groups based on a survey of political players

One recent top ten list consisted of the following:



1. AARP2. National Rifle Association (NRA)3. National Federation of Independent

Businesses (NFIB)4. American Israel Public Affairs

Committee (AIPAC)5. American Federation of Labor-

Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)



6. The Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA)

7. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce8. National Right to Life Committee

(NRLC)9. The National Education Association

(NEA)10. The National Restaurant Association


TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPSTYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS

Economic Groups: promote economic advantages and opportunities

Business Groups: promote interests of companies and corporations

Trade associations: typically focus on one particular industry

Free riders: enjoy the benefits of membership without paying for the costs



Labor Unions: promote the interests of American workers

Open shop: membership is optionalClosed shop: mandatory membership -

banned by the Taft-Hartley ActUnion shop: must either join the union or

pay the equivalent of union dues



Professional Associations:Lawyers and medical doctors have high-

profile and powerful interest groupsAmerican Medical Association (AMA)

and the American Bar Association (ABA)The National Association of Realtors

(NAR) is also large and influential


NONECONOMIC GROUPSNONECONOMIC GROUPSPublic interest groups: Promote the

broad, collective good of citizens and consumers

Issue or ideological groups: Focus on specific issues and ideological perspectives

Government groups: Represent the interests of governments


YOUR PERSPECTIVE . . . ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE . . . ON AMERICAN POLITICSAMERICAN POLITICS

“Before the Lecture Begins, Students from PIRG have an announcement…”

Public Interest Research Group–claims to “stand up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public”

Does PIRG operate on your campus?


YOUR PERSPECTIVE . . . ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE . . . ON AMERICAN POLITICSAMERICAN POLITICS

What other interest groups are active at your college?

Have you ever been asked to get involved in PIRG or another interest group’s activities?

What kinds of interest groups are you most willing to support?


HOW INTEREST GROUPS ACHIEVE HOW INTEREST GROUPS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALSTHEIR GOALS

Lobbying: Provide information and expertise to

public officials Attempt to convince officials to vote or

act in a manner favorable to their interest Lobbying has been part of the American

political system since the colonial era Copyright © 2012 Cengage Learning


Supporting candidates and parties in election campaigns:

Provide financing via PACs, volunteers, endorsements, etc…

Litigation: Initiate lawsuits, request injunctions,

defend members, and file legal briefsCopyright © 2012 Cengage Learning


Persuasion campaignsMedia campaigns to persuade the public

to support their position on issuesSophisticated public relations operations

communicate their positionsUse tactics such as “targeted mass

mailings”Copyright © 2012 Cengage Learning

NOW & THEN: MAKING THE NOW & THEN: MAKING THE CONNECTIONCONNECTION

The railways and Native American tribes were interest groups that exerted a strong influence on policymaking

Both were well-respected, yet when Oakes Ames and Jack Abramoff used greed as an enticement, the democratic system suffered


POLITICS INTERACTIVE!POLITICS INTERACTIVE!

The Newest Way for Organized Interests to Influence Elections: 527s

Politically oriented organizations with tax-exempt status and no limits on the amount of soft money they can theoretically raise and spend

Develop and air “issue” advertisements2008–spent nearly $500 million



Go to www.opensecrets.org/527s

Which industries have been most active in forming these groups?

What kinds of ads have they produced?

Who do you think benefits more–Democrat or Republican candidates?



Do these groups legitimately contribute to the “marketplace of ideas,” or

Is this an example of “free speech run amuck”?

www.cengage.com/dautrich/americangovernment/2e Find the link for details on 527s; consult the various links that relate to 527 advertisements


John McCain speaks at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association, which endorsed him for president.SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES


c hapter 11 i nterest g roups copyright © 2012 cengage learning

Documents

cengage learning slide

groups of people

respective groups

public policy copyright

generosity copyright

c hapter

groups level of influence

public faith copyright