Transcript Interests Groups

Interests Groups
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People joining together in order to protect a
common interest, is a basic part of the
democratic process.
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Interest groups are sometimes called pressure
groups.
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This right is protected by the Constitution.
Special interest
Organized interest
Lobbies
They also give themselves such names as
clubs, associations, committees, leagues, and
federations.
No matter what they are called, they exist to
influence public policy.
Types of Interest Groups
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Economic based interest groups – those
that represent business, labor, agriculture,
and certain professions.
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Business groups – businesses that are
looking to protect their interests.
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National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
 Represents big business in public affairs
Chamber of Commerce
 Represents smaller businesses
Trade Associations – interest groups of the business
community
Types of Interest Groups
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Labor Groups – A labor union is an organization
of workers who share the same job or work in
the same industry.
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Try to shape government policy that will benefit their
members.
Less than 13.5% of the nation’s labor force
The largest, the AFL-CIO, is made up of over 100
separate unions. (13 million members)
There are also a number of independent unions that
are not affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
Work for things like Social Security programs,
minimum wages, and unemployment benefits.
Types of Interest Groups
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Agricultural Groups – represent the interests of
the American farmer.
The National Grange is the most prominent.
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Concerned with the welfare of the farming families
400,000 members
The Farm Bureau is the largest and most
effective of these groups. (4 million members)
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Supports federal programs to promote agriculture
It opposes government regulation and favors the free
market economy.
Types of Interest Groups
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Professional Groups – these are defined as
those occupations that require extensive and
specialized training.
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These groups work to maintain, promote, and
protect their interests.
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Medicine
Law
Teaching
AMA
ABA
NEA
These groups have an impact on public policy at
every level of government.
Types of Interest Groups
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Cause Groups – work to promote a cause of
idea.
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Organizations that promote welfare of certain
groups
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ACLU
Work to promote the welfare of certain segments of
the American population.
Religious Organizations try to influence public
policy in several areas.
Public Interest Groups – this is an interest group
that seeks to institute certain public policies of
benefit to all or most people in this country.
Interest Groups at Work
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Influencing public opinion
Supply the public with information
 To build a positive image for the group
 To promote a particular public policy
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Propaganda is a technique of persuassion
aimed at influencing individual or group
behavior.
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The use of mass media plays an important
role in the use of propaganda.
Influencing Parties and Elections
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Interest groups try to influence the
behavior of political parties.
They become a major source of campaign
funding in our government today.
 PACs or political action committees raise and
distribute money to candidates through these
committees.
 Lobbying is defined as those activities by
which group pressures are brought to bear on
legislators and the legislative process.
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Lobbyists at Work
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Liked to be called by some other title, such as
“legislative counsel” or “public representative.”
A large part of a lobbyists success depends on
how well they know the political system.
Lobbyists use a lot of different techniques to try
to persuade legislators and other policy makers
to share their point of view.
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They use “grass roots” tactics to pressure law
makers. Grass roots means from the people or
average voter.
Lobbyists at Work
The groups that lobbyists speak for can
mount campaigns by e-mail, letter,
postcard, and phone from the “folks back
home.”
 A lobbyist today is much different from
those of the past.
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They are ready to make campaign
contributions, provide information, write
speeches, and even draft legislation.
Lobby Regulation
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Abuse does occur now and then.
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Congress passed the Federal Regulation of Lobbying
Act in 1946.
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Lobbyists were required to register with the clerk of the House
and the secretary of the Senate.
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 was passed to
strengthen the act of 1946.
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False or misleading testimony
Bribery
Unethical pressures
Registration is required by all lobbyists and organizations.
Each State has its own sets of laws and regulations for
lobbyists.
Interests Groups
Interest groups function at all levels of
government.
 Political Parties & Interest Groups
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Both political parties and interest groups
overlap.
Three major differences between the two.
Making nominations
 Primary focus
 Scope of the interest
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Interests Groups
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Valuable functions of interest groups:
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Stimulate interest in public affairs
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Represent their members on a basis of shared
attitudes (not based on geography)
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Those issues that concern the public at large
What members think as opposed to what happens where
they live (labor unions)
Organized interest often provide useful, specialized,
and detailed information to government.
Interests groups are vehicles for political participation.
Interests groups add another element to the checksand-balances feature of the political process.
They also compete with one another in the public
arena.
Criticisms of Interest Groups
Some have an influence far out of
proportion to their size, importance, or
contribution to public good.
 It is hard to tell just how many are
represented by an interest group.
 Many do not express the views of all of the
people that they claim to represent.
 Some groups use tactics that would
undermine the entire political system.
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