Interest Groups
AP Government
Unit 4
What is an Interest Group??
•Interest groups are organizations that seek a collective
good, and which will not selectively or materially benefit
the members.
•“An interest group is an organization made up of
people who share common objectives and who actively
attempt to influence government policymakers through
direct and indirect methods.”
•“Interest Group is an organization of people with similar
policy goals that tries to influence the political process to
try to achieve those goals.”
What SHOULD
Interest Groups do?:
• Promote interest in public affairs
• Provide useful information
• Serve as watchdogs
• Represent the interest of Citizens
What do Interest Groups do?
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Try to influence public policy
Lobbyists try and persuade public officials to
believe a specific view
 Every branch and every level of government
is affected by interest groups
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Interest Groups have been
criticized for…
 Ignoring
the wider interest of
society
 Producing confusion and deadlock
in Congress
 Generating so much emotion that
they make reasoned discussion
difficult
 Having too much influence
Political Parties vs. Interest Groups
Political Parties
• Nominate
candidates
• Want to win
elections
• Concerned with
many issues
Interest Groups
• Don’t nominate
• Want to influence
policies
• Concerned with
one issue
Lobbyists
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A Lobbyist is someone whose task it is to
influence legislation or policymaking
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Generally works for an interest group
Lobbyists are hired by:
Businesses
 Trade associations
 Colleges or universities
 Foreign countries
 Anyone else wanting their voice heard on policy
matters (Health issues, parent issues…)
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What Lobbyists SHOULD Do
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A lobbyist must be honest and truthful if he
or she wants to remain effective.
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Access to lawmakers is critical and if a lobbyist
gets a reputation of being untruthful or
disingenuous legislators doors will close.
Good lobbyists will also make lawmakers
aware of the downsides of a bill and the
arguments on the other side as well.
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And I have some swamp land in Florida for sale
for a GREAT price!! 
The Development of
American Interest Groups
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Interest groups have been part of the
American political landscape since the
country’s founding.
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The open nature of the American government
invites organized political participation.
James Madison in Federalist #10 argued
that no one group should get control over
other groups.
The Roots and Development
of American Interest Groups
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National Groups Emerge (1830-89)
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The beginnings of lobbying and interest groups
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Anti-Slavery groups
Temperance Groups
The Grange
The Progressive Era (1890-1920)
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Important groups created
Organized Labor
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The American Federation of Labor (AFL) (1886)
Business and Trade Associations
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) (1895)
The Roots and Development
of American Interest Groups
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The Rise of the Interest Group State (1960-1970)
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A new sense of progressivism
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Religious and Ideological Groups
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Christian Coalition, Moral Majority
Business Groups, Trade and Professional Associations
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ACLU, Common Cause, NAACP
Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable
Organized Labor
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AFL-CIO
Teamsters
Why People Join Interest Groups
1. Solidary Incentives
• For the social contacts
• League of Women Voters, NAACP,
PTSA, American Legion
2. Material Incentives
• For economic reasons
• AARP, Farmers Groups, Labor Unions
3. Purposive Incentives
• For moral causes / crusades
• Right to-Life, Pro-Choice, Greenpeace
Who Joins Interest Groups?
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Upper class interest groups- Big Business
More affluent join and are active
 White collar workers
 Professional groups
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Working class interest groups- Big Labor
Labor unions have been very powerful in past
 The AFL-CIO broke up in 2004, cutting big
labor’s power
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Important Interest Groups to Know
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Emily’s List- Early money is like yeast – makes the
Dough rise (Democratic women)
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AARP- American Association of Retired persons
NRA- National Rifle Association
ACLU- American Civil Liberties Union
NAACP- National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
Sierra Club- Environmental advocate group
AFL-CIO- American Federation of Labor
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AFL-CIO
Alliance for Justice
American-Arab AntiDiscrimination Committee (ADC)
American Association for
Affirmative Action (AAAA)
American Association for People
with Disabilities (AAPD)
American Association of Retired
Persons (AARP)
American Association of
University Women (AAUW)
American Bankers Association
(ABA)
American Bar Association
American Civil Liberties Union
American Chemical Society
American Conservative Union
American Farm Bureau
Federation
American Federation of State,
County, and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
(AFT)
American Hellenic Educational
Progressive Association (AHEPA)
American Israel Public Affairs
Committee
American Legion
American Petroleum Institute
American Postal Workers Union
(APWU)
American Public Welfare
Association (APWA)
Americans Against Political
Corruption
Americans for Democratic Action
Amnesty International
Animal Rights Coalition
Catholics United for Life
Center for Democracy and
Technology
Center for Public Integrity
Center for Science in the Public
Interest (CSPI)
Children's Defense Fund
Child Labor Coalition
Child Welfare League of America
Christian Coalition
Citizens Against Government
Waste
Citizens for Budget Reform
(CBR)
Citizens for Tax Justice
Communications Workers of
America (CWA)
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Others- and Links!
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ConflictNet
Concord Coalition
Congressional Accountability
Project
Contract with America
Bowling Green State University
Coalition Against the Contract [
"Contract on America" (book by
Ann-Marie Rosato)
Council for Responsible Genetics
Death Penalty Information Center
EcoNet
Electronic Frontier Foundation
EMILY's List
Empower America
Environmental Defense Fund
Family Farm Alliance
Federation For American
Immigration Reform (FAIR)
Feminist Majority Foundation
Online
Friends of the Earth
Fund for Constitutional
Government
Generation X Coalition
Government Purchasing Project
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GreenNet (environmental)
Greenpeace International
Habitat for Humanity
Hollywood Women's Political
Committee - HWPC
International Association of
Machinists & Aerospace Workers
International Brotherhood of
Teamsters
International Union of Bricklayers
& Allied Craftworkers
LaborNet
League of Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters' Voter
Education Project
Majority '96
Militia Watchdog
National Abortion and
Reproductive Rights Action
League (NARAL)
National Air Traffic Controllers
Association
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP)
National Association for Public
Interest Law
National Association of Arab
Americans
National Association of Baby
Boomers
National Association of
Broadcasters
National Association of
Community Action Agencies
National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB)
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National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB)
National Coalition for the
Homeless
National Education Association
(NEA)
National Endangered Species Act
Reform Coalition
National Gay and Lesbian Task
Force
National Organization for Women
(NOW)
National Recycling Coalition
National Resources Defense
Council
National Right to Life
National Rifle Association
National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association
National Water Resources
Association
Nuclear Waste Citizens Coalition
Office & Professional Employees
International Union (OPEIU)
PeaceNet
People For the American Way
People for the Ethical Treatment
of Animals
Physicians for a National Health
Program
Planned Parenthood
Public Citizen
Public Interest Research Groups
Service Employees International
Union
Sheet Metal Workers
International Association
Sierra Club
Society for Electronic Access
(SEA)
Society for Human Resource
Management
Taxpayers Against Fraud
Teledemocracy Action News +
Network
United Autoworkers Workers
(UAW)
United Food and Commercial
Workers (UFCW)
United Mine Workers of America
(UMW)
United States Space Foundation
Vietnam Veterans of America
Women's Legal and Public Policy
Information
WomensNet
Sites for Research
California State University @ Chico
http://www.csuchico.edu/~kfountain/
About.com
http://usgovinfo.about.com/blorgs.htm
Economic Interest Groups
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Most interest groups are based on
economics
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Businesses (create favorable environment for
business to prosper)
Agriculture (work for price supports from gov’t,
but also limit gov’t influence)
Labor (Call public attention to the legitimate needs
of working people. Accomplishments …eight-hour
work day …child labor laws …minimum wage laws
...workplace health & safety laws)
Professional (protect and advance their
professional field -- to do this, they...publish
journals…give awards for excellence
...communicate their opinions to gov’t officials)
Other Types of Interest
Groups
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Cause-based
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(National Wildlife Federation, League of Women
Voters, National Rifle Association, MADD, Emily’s
List)
Concerned with the welfare of people
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(AARP – senior citizens, NAACP – African
Americans)
Religious Organizations
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(Christian Coalition, American Jewish Congress)
Interest Group Techniques
Direct Techniques:
Indirect Techniques:
 Lobby at Capitol Hill
 Generating Public
Pressure
 Have private meetings
 Meet at social occasions  Use public pressure on
“hot button” issues
 Testify at hearings
 Use constituents to call
 Drafting legislation
lawmakers
 Providing political info
 Build alliances with other
 Supply nomination
groups
suggestions
What Makes an Interest
Group Successful?
1.
2.
3.
Leaders – having a prominent leader aids in
the reputation of the group and enhances a
group's ability to attain its goals.
Patrons and Funding – funding is critical.
Without money, it is hard to get your message
out.
Members – a group must have members to
be successful. Organizing members allows
for strength in numbers and pooling of
financial support.
Where does ALL the $$ Come
From in Interest Groups??
Member dues
 Federal grants
 Direct mail appeals for cash
 Internet sites
 Dinners and fundraisers
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Federal Election Campaign Act of
1974-Why written? What is it?
Written with goal of “leveling playing field”
Created the Federal Election Commission,
Full disclosure required
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Created “PACs”
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Limited Hard Money
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No foreign contributions
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Public financing option – Presidential candidates
Problems with the FECA
--Soft $
-bundling
-1st Amendment challenges
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
- Independent Expenditures (such as issue ads)
Result of FECA
# of PACs increased dramatically
Cost of campaigns has increased at a rate higher than inflation
Sooo….there was an attempt to
close the loophole
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McCain Feingold –
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Bans soft money
Raised the limits on Hard Money
McConnell v. FEC (2003)
McCain Feingold Loopholes
• 527s
• Independent Expenditures
• Issue Ads
Citizens United v. FEC (2009)
•
Where
does all
the $$ Go?
AKA
If you give you
shall receive!!
Regulating Lobbyists
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1946
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1878
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Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act
Lobbyists must register and file reports
Ethics in Government Act
Officials must disclose finances and employment after leaving
government service
1995
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The Lobbying Disclosure Act
Must Register and Report clients
Estimate how much they are paid
FYI- Approximately 4 Million Dollars were spend
lobbying EACH member of Congress in 2005!
Jack Abramoff Scandal
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“Super-Lobbyist” Abramoff
plead guilty to corruption
charges in 2006
Abramoff pleaded guilty to
defrauding the Native American
tribes that were his clients, to
tax evasion and to conspiring
to bribe public officials
He illegally gave gifts and
made campaign donations to
legislators in return for votes or
support of legislation
Several federal officials were
also accused and found guilty
in the scandal
Political Action Committees
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A popular term for a political committee organized
for the purpose of raising and spending money to
elect and defeat candidates.
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Most PACS represent business, labor or ideological
interests.
PACS are the so-called “political arms” of interest
groups
The “revolving door”
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PACS hire former members of Congress to lobby their
old friends, committees, etc…
This is legal but …Is this Ethical???
Money from PACS
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PACs may receive up to $5,000 from any one
individual, PAC or party committee per calendar
year.
PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee
per election (primary, general or special).
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PACS support candidates with campaign money
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They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any
national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any
other PAC.
½ sponsored by corporations; 1/10 by unions
1/3 liberal and 2/3 conservative (2001)
Incumbents get the most PAC money!!
Money Limits
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Individuals can give up to $2300 to a
candidate but PACS can give $5,000 to a
candidate
Federal money will match presidential
campaign money but….
 Parties need at least 5% of vote in previous
year for presidential candidate to receive funds
 If that doesn’t happen you need PAC’s!!!
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