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INTEREST GROUPS
The other big influence on politics…
What Is an Interest Group Anyway?
O INTEREST GROUP – AN ORGANIZATION OF PEOPLE WITH SHARED
O
O
O
O
POLICY GOALS WHO ENTER THE POLITICAL PROCESS TO TRY AND
ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS
All Americans have interests that they want represented
Whatever the interest groups goals – outlawing abortion or
ensuring the right to one – interest groups pursue them in every
aspect of the government
Interest groups are different from political parties because Interest
groups may support candidates for office, but they themselves do
not run for office
Interest groups are often policy specialties, with a handful of key
policies to push so they don’t have to appeal to the masses
O i.e. An environmental group focuses on taking polluters to court so
they don’t focus on pushing for things like a higher minimum wage or
the status of urban transit
What Makes Interest Groups Successful?
O Many factors affect the success or failure of an interest group:
1.
Size of the group
2.
Intensity of the group
3.
Financial resources of the group
1. Size of the Groups
O The bigger the group, the more serious the “free-rider problem”
O Why should potential members work hard, pay dues or even formally
join the group if they can get the same benefits for free?
O Olson’s law of large groups – advanced by economist Mancur Olson
that states that the ‘larger the group, the further it will fall short of
providing an optimal amount of a collective good.’
O Collective good in this instance is anything of value (i.e. clean air) that
cannot be withheld from a potential group member
O Advantage of small groups
O We tend to see smaller groups have organizational benefits over larger
groups
*Greater intensity and more financial resources work to a
group’s advantage (larger groups,) we tend to see that
smaller groups are more likely to achieve their goals than
larger groups*
Fortune’s “POWER 25”
*Fortune Magazine has been analyzing not only the richest
companies and individuals in the country. They have also been
analyzing and ranking the most powerful lobbying associations.*
*Members of Congress, prominent congressional staffers, senior
White House aides and top ranking officers of the largest lobbying
groups in Washington were asked to assess, on a scale of 0 – 100, the
political clout of 87 major trade associations, labor unions and interest
groups…*
Fortune’s “POWER 25”
1. National Rifle Association
2. American Association of Retired People
3. National Federation of Independent Business
4. American Israel Public Affairs Committee
5. Association of Trial Lawyers of America
6. AFL-CIO
7. Chamber of Commerce
8. National Beer Wholesalers Association
9. National Association of Realtors
10. National Association of Manufacturers
11. National Association of Homebuilders
12. American Medical Association
13. American Hospital Association
Fortune’s “POWER 25”
14. National Education Association
15. American Farm Bureau Federation
16. Motion Picture Association of America
17. National Association of Broadcasters
18. National Right to Life Committee
19. Health Insurance Association of America
20. National Restaurant Association
21. National Governors’ Association
22. Recording Industry
23. American Bankers Association
24. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
25. International Brotherhood of Teamsters
2. Intensity of the Group
O A large group may be organized is through an issue that people feel
intensely about
O Intensity provides a psychological advantage that can be beneficial for
a small or large group
O When a group shows that it cares deeply about an issue, politicians are
more likely to listen…many votes may be won or lost on a single issue
O Single-issue group – group that has a narrow interest, tend to dislike
compromise and single-mindedly pursues its goal. Often times draw
membership from people who are new to politics
O Anti-Vietnam War activists may have started the first modern single-issue
group; today, opponents of gun control and abortion deal with issues that
evoke the strong emotions
O i.e. abortion: regardless of which side candidates for political office are on
(pro-choice or pro-life), they will be taking heat on the abortion issue
because each side single-mindedly wants its goal to be achieved
3. Financial Resources of the Group
O One of the major indictments of the American interest group system
is that it is biased toward the wealthy
O Case in point – when Senator Bob Dole was the Senate Majority Leader,
he once remarked that he had ‘never been approached by a Poor
People’s PAC.’
O We all know that money talks in the American political system…and
those that have it get heard
O i.e. those “Power 25” interest groups easily spend over a million dollars a
year on lobbying and campaign contributions
O It is important to emphasize though, that even on some of the most
important issues, the big interests do not always win (…think back to
those other 2 issues we just discussed!)
TYPES OF INTERST GROUPS
An American Tradition
O Nobody really knows how many associations exist in the United
States today
O There are thousands upon thousands and at every level of society
O There are 3 major categories that all interest groups fall under:
1. Economic Interest
2. Cause or an Idea
3. Public Interest
1. Economic Interest
O Many interest groups are formed on the basis of economic interest –
the most active and most effective are those representing:
1.
Business
2.
Labor
3.
Agricultural
4.
Professional Associations
Business Groups
O Business has long looked to government to promote and protect its
interests
O Remember, the U.S. from the beginning had a major interest in commerce and
it was the merchants, creditors, and property owners who were most
responsible for the Constitutional Convention
O Think back to our President Projects! How often do President’s have to deal
with the issue of finance and businesses in some way shape or form?!
O Most segments of the business community also have their own interest
groups, called trade associations
O There are hundreds and include the American Trucking Association, the
National Restaurant Association
O The pharmaceutical, oil and natural gas industries are generally seen as the
most powerful and effective
O Despite their common goal of promoting “business,” business groups do
not always present a solid front; in fact, they often disagree and fight
O i.e. the Trucking industry doe its best to get as much federal aid as possible for
highway construction. Railroads, are unhappy and see this as trucking calling in
“special favors;” at the same time, they see federal taxes on gasoline, oil and tires
as legitimate sources of federal income…and truckers of course, disagree
Labor Groups
O LABOR UNIONS – AN ORGANIZATION OF WORKERS WHO SHARE THE SAME
TYPE OF JOB OR WHO WORK IN TH SAME INDUSTRY. THEY PRESS FOR
GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES THAT WILL BENEFIT ITS MEMBERS.
O The strength of labor unions have ebbed and flowed over the years
O Today, 16 million (12%) of Americans are a member of a labor union; compare that to the
1940s and 1950s, close to 33% of Americans belonged to a labor union
O Labor has a host of groups, but the most notable, and by far the largest, is the AFL-
CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations)
O Today, made up of about 56 separate unions – International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers (IBEW), International Union of Automotive, Aerospace, and Agricultural
Implement Workers (UAW)
O All in all, we’re looking at 10 Million dues paying members
O The industrial sector of the nation’s economy has declined over recent years, and
with it, so have blue-collar workers and blue-collar dues paying members
O AFL-CIO in particular has been very active in efforts to unionize migrant farm
workers, service workers, and even public employees
O Organized labor generally speaks with one voice and focuses on social welfare
and job related matters
O i.e. Social Security, minimum wage, and unemployment
O Sometimes there can be conflicts based on region (urban vs. rural, East vs. West,
trucks vs. railroads vs. airplanes)
Agricultural Groups
O Think back to our nation’s founding…for much of our history, we have lived in
rural areas and on farms
O The Frist Census (1790), set our population at 3,929,214 and that 94.9% of that
population lived outside any city or town!
O While our population has increased (we’re over 300 Million today,) the number of
those who live on farms has plummeted.
O 1790 – 4 Million people, 95% on farms
O Today – 300 Million people, 2% on farms
O Farmers’ influence on the government’s agricultural policies has been enormous;
what we see today is are groups that represent farmers who raise particular
commodities
O Most powerful today are the National Grange, the American Farm Bureau
Federation, and the National Farmers Union
O National Grange (1867) – 300,000 mostly in the Northeast and Mid Atlantic States
O Farm Bureau (1919) – 5 Million, particularly in the Midwest…By far the most powerful of
the 3
O We also have specialized groups
O The National Association of Wheat Growers, National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association, National Milk Producers Federation
O Sometimes there can be coflicts – CA and FL citrus growers find themselves
competeing; cotton, corn, soybeans, etc compete to try and influence state laws
regarding margarine and yogurt
Professional Associations
O Basically, those occupations that require extensive formal training
and often times, government licensing
O i.e. Medicine, Law, Education
O Most professional associations are not nearly as large, well-organized,
well-financed, or effective as others, but there are 3 exceptions:
O (AMA) American Medical Association
O (ABA) American Bar Association
O (NEA) National Education Association
O There are hundreds of others for specialized fields, but they are
smaller and tend to be less effective
O Even with the major 3 (AMA, ABA & the NEA), membership is NOT
required and those professionals are not necessarily members and
more importantly, don’t claim to represent or support them
O Fewer than half of all licensed medical doctors in the U.S. belong to the
AMA
2. Cause or an Idea
O Most are going to be born out of an economic concern, but as we
remember, some are also based off a particular idea or a cause
O REMEMBER OUR SINGLE-ISSUE GROUPS??
O ACLU, National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, the National Right-to-Life
Committee, Planned Parenthood, NRA, etc.
O Think tanks – research institutions saffed by scholars and experts in a variety
of fields also qualify as Interest Groups
O Think tanks promote their particular policy views and oppose those of others in
books, newspaper articles, journals, and TV appearances
O Most prominent are Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation (conservative)
and Institute for Policy Studies (liberal)
O Religious Organizations
O Religious groups have long been involved in politics and many work to affect
public policy in several different areas
O Protestants – The National Council of Churches, the Christian Voice, the
Christian Coalition
O The National Catholic Welfare Council, the American Jewish Congress, etc.
3. Public Interest
O Most Interest Groups focus on public policies that are of special
benefit to its members and work against policies that are seen as
threats
O PUBLIC INTEREST GROUP – AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS FOR
THE BEST INTERSTS OF THE OVERALL COMMUNITY, RATHER THAN
THE NARROWER INTERESTS OF ONE SEGMENT
O Seeks policies that that benefit all or most people, whether or not they
belong to or even support the organization
O i.e. Common Cause, the League of Women Voters
INTEREST GROUPS AT WORK
Who Gets What, When and How
O Interest groups approach government both directly and indirectly
O Direct efforts involve immediate, face-to-face contacts with policy
makers
O Indirect efforts entail more subtle tactics
O i.e. mobilizing “the folks back home” to contact their members of Congress
with letters, phone calls, emails or even to organize to support or help kill a
particular bill
Who Gets What, When and How…Directly
O Let’s start with the direct approach
O LOBBYING – THE PROCESS BY WHICH ORGANIZED INTERESTS ATTEMPT
TO AFFECT THE DECISIONS AND ACTIONS OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS
O Lobbying occurs wherever public policy is made including in D.C., every
state capital, all of the county courthouses and city halls across the
country
O Every important interest and many lesser ones (business groups, labor unions,
farm organizations, churches, etc.) maintain lobbyists in D.C.
O The number of people who earn at least part of their living lobbying Congress
are around 30,000 and they spend more than 2 BILLION per year doing their
jobs
O Most lobbyists are “hired guns” who will use their talents and contacts for
anyone who is willing to pay whatever they charge (most larger companies or
labor union have their own full-time lobbyists)
O Every lobbyist must describe his or her ongoing work in detail and account for the
income for it in quarterly reports
O Former Senators and top-level executive branch officials have to wait 2 years before
they can become lobbyists; ex-House members need only wait 1 year
O No member of Congress can receive ANY gift from lobbyists or their clients (2007)
Who Gets What, When and How…Directly
O Some lobbying efforts target individual lawmakers and their staffs, but
most are aimed at the standing committees of the House and the Senate
(…think back to our unit of the Legislative Branch!)
O Lobbyists testify before congressional committees and regularly submit
prepared statements that set out their organization’s views on proposed
legislation
O i.e. a House Committee on the Judiciary is considering a bill to regulate the
sale or firearms, the companies that make guns, the companies that sell guns
and the companies that produce and sell ammunition have a clear stake in in
the bill’s contents and its ultimate fate…but so do law enforcement agencies,
hunters, wildlife conservationists, etc.
O Lobbyists provide lots of useful information to Congress:
“Competent lobbyists can present the most persuasive arguments in support
of their positions. Indeed, there is no more effective manner of learning all
important arguments and facts on a controversial issue than to have the
opposing lobbyists present their case.”
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Who Gets What, When and How…Directly
O Not only do lobbyists present their information, they are also ready
to do things like make campaign contributions, write speeches,
even draft legislation themselves
O The information is usually quite accurate, the contributions are always
welcomed, the speeches are forceful, and the bills are well drawn, so
it’s a win-win
O Lobbyists also directly lobby the Executive and Judicial Branches
O The Executive Branch – lobbyists try to appeal to top White House
aides in hopes of getting their goals moved to the top of the pile and
eventually become a focus (and hopefully a champion) of/by the
President
O The Judicial Branch – We see this through lawsuits, forcing the
Supreme Court and the lower courts to make rulings that support our
cause…not to mention the fact that Interest Groups have a deep
interest in securing their position is represented on the Supreme Court
through the selection of judges
Who Gets What, When and How…Indirectly
O Sometimes Interest Groups try to mask their involvement in an
attempt to make their effort appear spontaneous
O 4 of the most common strategies:
1.
Grass-roots lobbying
2.
Molding Public Opinion
3.
Propaganda
4.
Electioneering
1. Grass-roots Lobbying
O GRASS-ROOTS LOBBYING – PRESSURES FROM MEMBERS OF AN INTEREST
GROUP OR FROM THE PEOPLE AT LARGE, OFTEN BEGINNING AT A VERY
BASIC LEVEL TO BEAR ON PUBLIC OFFICIALS
O Many of the groups that the lobbyists speak for can mount campaigns
using letters, postcards, phone calls, emails, faxes from their supporters
AND do it on very short notice
O Most effective group that utilizes Grass-roots lobbying? AARP!
O Over 39 Million members and a staff of over 1,600
O Whenever there’s legislation or any sort of administrative action that affects
retirees being discussed, AARP swings into action
O Congressmen and Congresswomen receive more letters, phone calls and emails
than from any other group!
O Some members of Congress downplay the effectiveness because they
know that Interest Groups orchestrate the outpouring of letters, phone
calls, etc. BUT, every congressional office monitors those communications
as a way of tracking their constituents’ opinions
2. Molding Public Opinion
O Every group spends a great deal of time and energy on attempts to
mold public opinion…think about it, if you can make people believe
that your cause is the most important or the best possible way AND
get them to convey that to their public officials, your job as an
Interest Group is half done!
O TV, Newspapers, magazines, etc. are filled with costly
advertisements by oil, cell phone, drug and insurance
companies…all of them hoping to cast the sponsor of the ad in a
favorable light
O Go well beyond promoting some particular product, they also try to
suggest that the organizations behave as good citizens or defends
family values or protects the environment – they call to a greater
purpose
O Many groups use well-regarded personalities or trusted public
figures to support the group’s cause
O And of course, who can forget the influence of Mass Media
3. Propaganda
O Interest Groups try to create the public attitudes they want by using
PROPAGANDA – A TECHNIQUE OF PERSUASION AIMED AT
INFLUENCING INDIVIDUAL OR GROUPS BEHAVIORS – THE GOAL IS TO
CREATE A PARICULAR BELIEF AMONG THE AUDIENCE
O We tend to think of propaganda is negative, but in fact, propaganda may be
completely true, completely false or somewhere in between
O Talented propagandists almost never attack the logic of a policy they
oppose, rather, the often attack it with name calling
O Labels like “fascist” or “communist” also terms like “ultraliberal” or
“ultraconservative”
O Propagandists may also try to discredit a policy or person by CARDSTACKING –
PRESENTING ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE ISSUE
O Policies that propagandists support receive labels that will produce favorable
reactions
O Glittering generalities such as “American,” “sound,” “fair,” and “just” as well as
symbols like Uncle Sam and the American flag
O The bandwagon approach, which urges people to follow the crowd is
another technique, along with the ‘Plain-folks Approach’ in which the
propagandists pretends to be one of the ‘common people’
4. Electioneering
O The most useful and the most appreciated thing that an Interest
Group can do for a public official is to help an individual win office
O Think about it, from the group’s perspective, electing officeholders
(Congressmen and Congresswomen, state legislatures, Governors, etc.)
sympathetic to their interests is one of the most effective things they
can do
O Groups can and do help those who run for office and one of the
most common ways is through their Political Action Committees
(PACs)
O PACs are the political arms of interest groups – they make financial
contributions and hold fundraisers for candidates, conduct voter
registration, get-out-the-vote drives, supply professional campaign
consultants, etc.
O PACs also help staff local campaign offices, distribute campaign
literature, work phone banks, take voters to the polls on election day