SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
CHARACTERISTICS

Interest Group: linkage group that is a public or
private organization, affiliation, or committee that has
the goal of dissemination of its membership’s
viewpoint


The result: will be persuading public policymakers to
respond to the group’s perspective
Only criteria to join an interest group: have same
interests & attitudes toward the goals of the
organization

Once a group is formed – has internal functions of
attracting and keeping a viable membership by making
promises to their membership & being able to succeed in
their political goals
GROUP THEORY (PLURALIST, HYPERPLURALIST, ELITE)
Pluralism (centrist position results b/c there is a
more far-reaching and balanced group
representation)
 Elite (group behavior derives from upper class)
 Hyperpluralism (so many competing groups it
creates gridlock)


Pluralists maintain that
 Competing
groups are healthy b/c they provide
political connection to gov’t, offering gov’t officials a
choice
 Competition often clarifies information and prevents
any one group from dominating gov’t
 Competing groups have each developed political
strategies to achieve their goals and that eventually
the resources of one group will independently affect
gov’t policy

Critics of elite theory maintain that
 Power
is concentrated by largest and richest
organizations
 Unequal nature of power of groups negates fact that
groups are proliferating
 Ultimately $ talks, and these large groups will have
the most influence
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF INTEREST
GROUPS

Interest groups were a concern for founders (think
Federalist #10)
 Particularly
concerned elites would gain control,
blocking access to gov’t
FUNCTIONS OF INTEREST GROUPS

Raise awareness & stimulate interest in public
affairs
 Educate
members & public
Represent membership – as link between
members & gov’t
 Provide info to the gov’t

 Especially

data & testimony to influence public policy
Provide channels for political participation
enabling citizens to work together to achieve a
common goal
TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS

Economic interest groups
Most are formed on basis of economic interests
 Labor groups promote & protect organized labor

 AFL-CIO,

Teamsters Union
Business groups promote & protect business interests in
general
 Chamber
of Commerce of the US and National Association of
Manufacturers

Professional groups maintain standards within a
profession, hold professional meetings, publish journals
 National
Education Association (NEA), American Medical
Association (AMA), American Bar Association (ABA)

Agricultural groups promote general agricultural & farmer
interests
 National
Grange, National Farmers’ Union

Groups that promote causes
 Specific
causes
 American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
 National Rifle Association (NRA)
 Welfare
of specific groups
 American
Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP)
 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
 Religion
related causes
 National
Council of Churches
 American Jewish Congress

Public Interest Groups
 Are
concerned w/ issues such as the environment,
consumer protection, crime, civil rights
 League
of Women Voters
 Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
 Sierra Club
STRATEGIES OF INTEREST GROUPS

Influencing Elections (electioneering)
 Encouraging
members to vote for candidates who
support their views
 Influencing party platforms & nomination of
candidates
 Campaigning and contributing
money to parties and
candidates through political
action committees (PACs)

Litigation
 Groups
take an issue to court if
unsuccessful in gaining support of
Congress
 Used successfully by NAACP in 1950s against
segregation

Going public
 Use
the media!
 Appealing to the public for support by bringing
attention to an issue
 Using public relations to gain support for the image of
the interest group itself

Lobbying (most powerful)
Attempting to influence policymakers by supplying data to
gov’t officials to convince these policymakers their case is
most deserving
 Direct lobbying: using personal contacts between lobbyists
and policymakers
 Grassroots lobbying: interested group members & others
write letters & emails, make phone calls to influence
policymaking
 Coalition lobbying: several interest groups w/ common
goals join together to influence policymakers
 Groups will often hire recently retired members of
Congress to use inside experience to outmaneuver another
group

 Impropriety
caused Congress to create a waiting period before
former members can be such consultants
 Even stricter rules apply to former members of executive branch
hired to lobby former agencies
LOBBYIST ACTIVITIES

Testify
 Attend
committee hearings & bring biases and points
of expertise
 Comment on possible impact of bills, esp.
for or against goals of their group

Meet
 Personal
contacts are way to make political arguments
 Paid junkets – lobby organizations pay for trips &
vacations for members of gov’t
 Highly
controversial b/c open bias and bribery

Research


Lead


Have time & resources to gather data to sway members of
Congress
Sway masses w/in organization to call & write to the
members of gov’t
Fund
Raising and contributing of campaign funds
 Possibly most powerful action


Litigate

Turn to courts to attack acts, rules, regulations they feel
are unfair to group
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES
Campaign finance reforms of 1970s prohibited
corporations and labor unions from making direct
contributions to candidates running for federal
office
 PACs are political arms of interest groups
 Federal law regulates PACs

 Must
register w/ federal gov’t
 Raise money from multiple contributors, donate to
several candidates, follow strict accounting rules

What PACs do
 Give
$$ directly to candidate’s campaigns – hard
money
 Closely
regulated by Federal Election Commission
 Give
$$ to parties – soft money
 Use $$ to create ads or messages for “issues” w/o
specifically supporting a particular candidate
 These
expenditures are unregulated
REGULATION OF INTEREST GROUPS

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946) requires lobbyists to
register w/ clerk of HoR & secretary of Senate if principle
purpose is to influence legislation


1971 & 1974: Federal Election Campaign Acts were passed




Directed at those who tried to influence members of Congress
Limits extent of contributions to presidential campaigns
Legitimized & increased number of interest groups b/c it authorized
open participation
1976: Buckley v Valeo – limitations on individuals making donations
in presidential elections were unconstitutional b/c matching public
financing was involved
As result: McCain-Feingold campaign finance law & S Court
decision… PACs are prohibited from donating soft $ to political
parties or presidential candidates

Lobbying Disclosure Act (1995): created stricter
regulations by requires registration if lobbying was
directed at members of Congress, congressional
staff, or policymakers in executive branch


2008 – Obama issued additional regulations to prevent
former lobbyists from receiving appointments to his
administration
Lobby reform legislation passed in 2006 made
lobbyists disclose how much $ they contributed &
raised for candidates
Also made illegal gifts lobbyists could give to congressmen
 Also required congressmen to disclose any earmarks they
inserted in bills
 Also slowed down how fast lawmakers could become
lobbyists

CURRENT VIEWS

Public perception today

Relatively negative b/c of
 Excessive
sums spent to influence elections
 Rapid creation of new interest groups – conflicts revolve around
power of interest groups


Is their ability to donate huge amounts of $$ the decisive factor between
those who influence policy and those ignored?
However, 4,600+ PACs means all kinds of groups and opinions have
access to public officials
Interest groups run spectrum of political beliefs
 Can be most effective way for citizens to make their
voices heard by gov’t


Often hire professional representatives to lobby for their
interests