INTEREST GROUP
QUESTIONS
Question


Different interest groups will choose different
techniques to achieve their objectives based on their
resources, characteristics and goals.
A) Describe each of the following techniques and
explain why an interest group would choose each
technique. (6 Points, 1 point for each general
description, 1 point for showing why the strategy would
be used)
Litigation
 Campaign contributions
 Grassroots lobbying/ mass mobilization

A) Litigation


Definition: To contest in legal proceedings.
Used when:
 Lack
of broad popular support, and /or influence over
legislation/policy
 Rights issues are involved
 Success establishes firm precedent
A) Campaign contributions


Funds that are raised and spent in order to promote
candidates, parties or policies in some sort of
electoral contest.
Used when:
A
group needs access to policy making.
 Has a narrow or focused issue
 Buy a candidates loyalty or support for cause, increase
support.
A) Grassroots lobbying


Mass mobilization, large numbers of citizens writing into
their congressmen/women about an issue.
Used when
Popular support but lacks funds
 Popular support lends to strength of cause
 Requires less funds
 Democratic concerns (philosophical approach). Needs to go
beyond influencing public opinion to include
involvement/activity for first point; must include how the
involvement/ activity affects decision makes for second
point.

Question

B) Select one of the following groups and identify the
primary technique it uses from the list in part a). Explain
why the group you selected would employ that
technique over the other two techniques.(2 Points, 1
point for association with a strategy, 1 point for linkage
to other strategies)
American Medical Association (AMA)
 Sierra Club
 National Rifle Association (NRA)
 National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP)

B)
American Medical Association (AMA)
 Campaign Contributions over litigation because more
influence in law making than law disputing. Over
grassroots because they don’t always have popular
support.
Sierra Club (Clean energy)
 Grassroots have the popular support, people like the
idea of going green, OR litigation law are already in
place to aid their goals, they don’t need to make new
ones by influencing legislation.
B)
National Rifle Association (NRA)
 Grass roots Americans, generally, like their guns, no
need for laws, the right to bear arms is in the bill of
rights. OR Litigation against laws that limit ownership of
guns.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP)
 Litigation OR grassroots easy to win disputes/ have
popular support. Difficult to make new laws.