Interest Groups

The Role of Interest Groups

• Where do you stand on gun control? What about school prayer? Abortion?

• How would you increase your chances of influencing your position?

• Joining others with like views

Interest group other names

• – pressure groups, special interests, organized interests, and lobbies

• they call themselves – committees, clubs, associations, leagues

Interest Groups Goals

• Influence public policy-Fundamental Goal

• How ?• Media campaigns & organizing people• Support candidates – – Monetary contributions & endorsements

• Change laws- – Lobbying

• Influence government officials – Information

Why Join?

• Reasons Vary

• To be w/ like minded individuals

• Economic benefits

• Politically active

Political Action Committee(PACs)

• A federally registered fund-raising committee that represents an interest group in the political process through campaign donations

Super PAC

• Court Case - Citizens United

• Corporations and unions have 1st amendment (freedom of speech) rights

“super PAC”

• which is officially known as an "independent expenditure-only committee“

• The "superPAC" is like a traditional PAC without many of the restrictions. For instance, a "superPAC" can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for the sole purpose of supporting or opposing political candidates.

• A "superPAC" can directly attack a political candidate. The only caveat is that a "superPAC" is not allowed to coordinate directly with candidates or political parties.

How do PACs challenge traditional party politics?

• Made it legal for corporations & unions to form PACs and make contributions

• Less influence on candidates from the party

• Super PACs ?

Types of Interest groups

• Economic Interest - Primary purpose of promoting the financial interests of its members

• Business & Trade

• Labor

• Professional

• Agriculture

• Public Interest- Organization that seeks a collective good that will not selectively and materially benefit the members of the group

• Groups that promote causes

• Groups that promote the welfare of certain groups

• Religious organizations

WHY INTEREST GROUPS ARE COMMON

• MANY CLEAVAGES

• CONSTITUTION–Many access points

• POLITICAL PARTIES ARE WEAK*

Interest Groups in Action

• Lobbying - attempts to assert their influence on the policy process

• Supplying credible information- gov’t officials

• Filing amicus curiae (friend of the court)

• try to influence nominations• litigation

• Election activities–Endorsements–rating candidates or officer

holders– Creating PAC’s and making

contributions

• Raising public support – Grassroots lobbying

• Employing former government officials

Table 9.4: How PACs Spent Their Money in 2000 (in millions of dollars)

Table 9.3: Spending by

Political Action Committees

(PACs), 2000

WHAT ARE INTEREST GROUPS?• A private organization of like-

minded people whose goal is to influence and shape public policy

Political Parties & Interest Groups

Fundamental Goals

Political Parties Goals

• Winning elections – Fundamental Goal

• How?

• Nominate candidates for public office

• Why?

• Control Government

What do they have in common?

• Made up of people who unite for some political purpose

• Both are political organizations