Interest Groups and Public Opinion
Chapter 18
Defining Interest Groups:
Factions
• James Madison:
• “factions” – groups united to promote
special interests
• adverse to the rights of other citizens
and the community
• Believed the Constitution would
protect society from factions
Defining Interest Groups:
Political Parties
•Nominate candidates for office
and try to win elections
•Broad based organizations
•Consider issues facing all
Americans
•“catch all”
Defining Interest Groups
1. Share common goals and organize
to influence government
2. Specific problems or issues
3. Unite like-minded people from all
over the country
4. Purpose: Communicate “wants” to
government leaders – influence
public policy
Defining Interest Groups
5. Strength in numbers
• Government will respond
better to large groups than
individuals
• Organization
Why Join?
• Economic interests
• Individual beliefs, values, or attitudes
(political)
• Non-political (social)
Who Joins?
• Upper income levels
• Who is looking out for the rest of us?
Types of Interest Groups
• Business and Labor
• (AFL-CIO, National Association of
Manufacturers, United Mine Workers)
• Agricultural Groups
• (NFU – National Farmers’ Union)
• Others
• Professional (ABA), Environmental (Sierra
Club, Greenpeace), Public Interest (Common
Cause), Government
How does an IG work?
• Generating Public Pressure – trying to
influence the government by using
public opinion on an issue
• Using Constituents as Lobbyists
• Media Campaign
• Building Alliances – forming alliances
with groups who share a policy goal
How does an IG work?
Limitations
• Different groups have different,
sometimes conflicting goals
• Larger IGs have more diverse
interests
• Smaller IGs have more narrow goals
Interest Groups: The Positive
• Individual citizens can influence
government beyond just voting
• Increase the interest and participation of
voters
• Gives minority groups access to all
branches of the government
• Continued expansion of interest groups
is expected
Interest Groups: The Negative
• Power of interest groups greater than
ever before
• Raise and spend large sums of money to
support candidates and parties
• This support buys access and the
internet is a great tool for rallying the
troops
Major Special Interest Groups
• National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People http://www.naacp.org
• American Federation of Labor-Congress of
Industrial Organization http://www.aflcio.org
• American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org/
• National Education Association
http://www.nea.org/
Affecting Public Policy
Lobbyists
• What is lobbying?
• Direct contact with lawmakers or
government leaders
• What is a lobbyist?
• Representative of an interest group
• Direct influence by an IG
Who is a Lobbyist?
• Paid by the interest group
• Must register with Congress
• Must file reports to disclose
activities
• Must estimate salary from the group
they represent
• Many lobbyists are former
government officials
• http://www.opensecrets.org/lobbyists/ov
erview.asp?txtindextype=is
What Does a Lobbyist Do?
• Meets with Congressmen and women
• Provide reports, statistics, and info.
• Gifts to Senators (under $50), no gifts to
Representatives
• Testify before congressional committees
• Help members of Congress draft bills
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AARP – American Association of Retired
People*
Christian Coalition*
NARAL – National Abortion Rights Action
League*
ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union*
Club for Growth
NEA - National Education Association*
Council on American-Islamic Relations
National Resources Defense Council
ABA - American Bar Association*
Emily’s List
NOW – National Organization of Women*
American Conservative Union
Environmental Defense Fund
NRA – National Rifle Association
American Farm Bureau
Family Research Council
PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals
AIPAC - American Israel Public Affairs
Committee
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence previously known as
Handgun Control, Inc.
Public Citizen*
AMA - American Medical Association*
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Moveon.org
Sierra Club
ATLA - Association of Trial Lawyers of
America
NAACP – National Association of
Colored People*
US Chamber of Commerce
The Business Roundtable
AFL-CIO – American Federation of
Labor – Congress of Industrial
Organizations*
NAM - National Association of
Manufacturers*
Veterans of Foreign Wars*
Planned Parenthood
ASPCA – American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
National Wildlife Federation
MADD – Mothers against Drunk Driving
American Association of People with
Disabilities
GLAD - Gay & Lesbian Advocates &
Defenders
League of Women Voters
National Immigration Forum
Lulac
Political Action Committees
• PAC- organization that collects
money and provide financial support
for a candidate
• Corporations and labor unions cannot
directly contribute to candidates, so
they set up PACs
Laws to Govern PACs
• PACs must register with the
government
• Must raise money from at least 50
contributors
• Must give to at least 5 candidates
http://www.opensecrets.org/527s/types.asp
Laws to Govern PACs
• Can give $5,000 directly to a
candidate
• Can spend unlimited amount on the
campaign, as long as it does not work
directly with candidate
Buckley v. Valeo
• 1976 Supreme Court decision
• FEC cannot limit the number of PACs
set up by divisions of a corporation or
union
• National, state, and local spending on
a candidate was free speech, could
not be limited
Types of PACs
• Affiliated: tied to corporation, trade
group, etc. (about 70% of PACs)
• Nonconnected: groups interested in a
cause and are not connected with an
interest group (about 25% of PACs)
• Usually raise more than affiliated PACs by
direct mail
Contributions to PACs
Graphs on page 510
• What has the general trend been in
Total PAC spending since 1978?
• By about how many dollars did PAC
spending increased between 19961998?
• By how much did the number of PACs
declined between 1996 and 1998?
• Which type of PAC spent the most $ in
1999?
DAY 2
What is Public Opinion?
• Attitudes and ideas that significant
numbers Americans hold about
government and politics
• 3 factors:
• Diversity
• Communication
• Significant Numbers
Where does it Come From?
• Political Socialization
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Family and Home
School
Peer groups
Personal characteristics
Mass Media
Other (govt. leaders, IGs, churches)
Political Efficacy
Political Culture
• Set of basic values and beliefs most
citizens share
• Ex) freedom, liberty
• Public Opinion fits within our Political
Culture
• Ex) Government regulations
Political Ideology
• Liberal
• Conservative
• Moderate
• Libertarian
Measuring Public Opinion
Non-Scientific
• Political Parties
• Interest Groups
• Mass Media
• Letter Writing
• Email, telephone, etc.
• Straw Polls
Scientific Polling
• Sample Populations
•Representative sample, random sample
• Sampling error
•Ex) +/- 3
• Sampling Procedures
•How do they sample the whole country?
Scientific Polling
• Poll Questions
•How are the questions worded?
• Mail and Phone Polls
•Some people refuse to be polled
• Interpret the Results
•Dishonesty, uninformed opinions, but..
•They are a snapshot of public opinion
Scientific Polling
• Sample Populations
•Representative sample, random sample
• Sampling error
•Ex) +/- 3
• Sampling Procedures
•How do they sample the whole country?
Election 2008 Polls
• McCain
http://pollingreport.com/l.htm#McCain
• Obama http://pollingreport.com/o.htm
• Clinton
http://pollingreport.com/C2.htm#Hillary
• Democratic Nomination
http://pollingreport.com/wh08dem.htm
• General Election
http://pollingreport.com/wh08gen.htm