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 informationgov’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 likeminded 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