Interest Groups
as
Linkage Institutions
Interest Groups as Factions
• Madison (Federalist 10) – his
description of factions defines the
interest groups found today
• Madison’s broad language “ The latent
causes of faction are sown in the
nature of man..” predicted the potential
for multiple factions on many topics
• Definition: People who share common
goals, interact with each other, and
organize to affect the public agenda.
Types of Interest Groups
• Economic: primary purpose is to promote
the economic interest of their members
* National Assoc. of Manufacturers
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AFL-CIO (unions)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
National Farmers Union
Tobacco Institute
American Medical Assoc.
National Assoc. of Trial Lawyers
American Petroleum Institute
Types of Interest Groups
• Public Interest Groups: narrowly
focused groups, often on a single issue
* American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
* American Assoc. of Retired Persons (AARP)
* The Brady Campaign.
* National Assoc. for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP)
* National Rifle Assoc. (NRA)
* National Abortion Rights League (NARAL)
* National Right to Life Committee
* Christian Coalition
Types of Interest Groups
• Environmental Groups: formed to
protect many parts of the environment
* Greenpeace
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Sierra Club
Environmental Defense Fund
National Audubon Society
The Nature Conservancy
League of Conservation Voters
Types of Interest Groups
• Public Interest/Good Government:
search for public policy that is in the
interest of the general public
* Common Cause
* Public Citizen
* National Right to Work
* MADD
Interest Groups as linkage
institutions
• Strategies to influence the public
agenda
* Information & education of public,
Congress, White House, etc.
* Mass media appeal
* Mass mailings
* Electioneering activities:
campaigning, issue ads, etc.
* Political Action Committees (PACs)
Interest Groups as linkage
institutions
• Lobbying
*
Congress: draft legislation, testify,
“astroturf” pressure, polls,
use constituents a
grassroots
* Executive Branch: information, testify,
assist with rules for
regulatory agencies
* Courts: amicus curiae briefs,
nominations
Interest Groups as linkage
institutions
• Other Activities
* Grassroots: direct mail, internet, radio
talk shows
* Protest: rally, parade, breaking the
law
* Election: endorsements, rating
candidates, contributions thru
PACs, issue ads, 527
committees, getting out the
vote (GOTV)
Interest Groups’ Influence
• Positive: Advantage for democracy
because it allows individual citizens to
influence government in ways that are
beyond their ballot – links them to the public
agenda
• Negative: The poorer citizens & those in
minorities are poorly represented, there is
too much money involved in the process
(elitist), and there is too much opportunity
for influence of the public agenda to be
purchased