Transcript Interest Groups2

Aim: How do Interest Groups
influence legislators?
Do Now: Do you agree with Ted
Kennedy that the U.S. Congress is
the greatest congress money can
buy?
8 Categories of Interest Groups:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Business and Industry
Trade Associations
Organized Labor
Agriculture
Professional Associations
Public Interest
Government
Cultural/Ethnic/Religious
How do Interest Groups Influence Public Policy?
1. By providing information to legislators through
public hearings, informal meetings, office
appointments, reports and position papers
a. Interest groups have experts who can
educate government officials on complex
issues
b. Testifying before Congress: providing expert
witnesses
c. Socializing: Interest groups hold social
functions to cement relationships with govt.
officials
2. Helping to draft legislation
3. Grassroots Lobbying
4. Instituting lawsuits:
a. file lawsuits and class action
suits (NAACP and Brown v.
Board of Ed.)
b. Submit amicus curiae briefs:
friend of the court briefs where
the interest group is not a party
to the lawsuit, but offer advice
to judges in making decisions
5. Educating and mobilizing the public
1. press releases and propaganda
6. Acting as a watchdog on the government
7. Making campaign contributions
a. Some are forbidden to do so by law:
corporations, trade groups, and unions
b. They form PACs
8. Electioneering on behalf of a candidate
a. Provide endorsements, rate legislators who
are running
Lobbying:
1. When interest groups try to influence
legislation, they are lobbying for a bill or
issue
2. Revolving Door: Many former
legislators act as paid lobbyists for
interest groups.
3. Direct Lobbying: meeting privately with
govt. officials to suggest legislation and
present arguments supporting their
position
Money and Interest Groups
1. Money is not as effective in influencing
legislators as information
2. The more complex and issue, the more a
lobbyists information will be useful
3. Money does grant access to legislators
4. There are enough interest groups and PACs
with money to give that legislators can still
remain independent
5. Often legislators can call the shots when
dealing with PACs