Special Interest Groups
Unit 2
http://www.ncsl.org/public/trust/o
pinionpoll.htm
Interest Groups

Private organization that tries to
persuade public officials to respond to
shared attitudes

Try to influence public policy (laws)

Lobbying
• Try to influence legislators and laws
• Lobbyist- activist usually paid by an
interest group to promote their positions to
legislatures
• Lobbyist can also work to change public
opinion through advertising campaigns or
by influencing 'opinion leaders’
How are they different from
Parties?
1.
2.
3.
Don’t nominate candidate
Interested in controlling policies
not offices
Concentrate on only a few issues
and not accountable to the public
Good or Bad?
Good






Create an interest in public affairs
Bring people together based on ideas
Provide useful information to Gov’t
Get people involved
Checks and Balances
Create competition
Good or Bad
Bad



Too much influence
Who is represented?
Bribery and other
corruption
Types of Interest Groups
Economic Interests
1. Business Groups
2. Labor Groups
3. Agricultural Groups
4. Professional Groups
Others
1. Promote Causes
2. Promote Welfare
3. Religious
http://www.csuchico.edu/~kfountain/alpha.html


http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyist
s/clientsum.asp?txtname=Philip+Mor
ris&year=2002
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyist
s/index.asp
Public Interest Groups


Goals is to benefit all or most people
not just a specific group
Focus on issues that all Americans
share
http://www.illinoispirg.org/
http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_group.php
Political Action Committees (PACs)






Single Interest Groups
Organization established by businesses,
labor unions, and other interest groups
Work to financially support political
campaigns that support their cause
Over 4,000 PACs registered today
In response to laws limiting union dues to
support candidates
Most PAC money goes to incumbents
PACs
YEAR
# of PACs
Contribution
(in millions)
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
113
1146
2551
4009
4268
4585
4430
4393
$8.5
$20.5
$65.2
$106.3
$151.3
$112
$126.5
$166.9
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/index.asp
PACs Top 7 Contributors ‘99-’00
Emily’s List
www.emilyslist.org
$12,288,422
NRA Political Victory Fund
www.nrapvf.org
$10,786,466


American Federation of State County & Municipal
Employees

$6,465,424
www.afscme.org

Democrat Republican Independent Voter Education
(International Brotherhood of Teamsters)
www.teamster.org
$5,501,792
PACs Top 7 Contributors ‘99-’00
UAW –V-CAP (United Auto Workers)
$4,531,700
www.uaw.org

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Committee on Public Education
$4,227,442
www.ibew.com

American Medical Association Political Action
Committee
$4,021,519
ampaconline.org/default.php

Contribution Limits

http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures
/contriblimits.shtml#fn4
Personal Assets
http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/overview.asp?type=W&cy
cle=2005&filter=S