Interest Groups: Tactics and Strategies
There are many strategies that can be used by interest groups to affect
policymaking and decisions. Use the following information to locate specific
examples of how interest groups work to achieve their policy goals.
I.
Iron Triangles
Read the following blog post:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/01/ethanol-lobby-findsfriends-foes.html
Create an iron triangle by identifying a senate member who is receiving money from
interest groups. Which companies contributed to this senators PAC and how much
was the total? What senate committee does the senator sit on that would be able to
extend tax credits to corn growers.
Use opensecrets.org to find out the committee that this senator sits on that would
be able to extend these tax credit for the fiscal year.
Create your triangle. ( Congress, Bureaucracy/Committee, Interest Group) –
Summarize the connections between all three by creating an iron triangle.
II.
Amicus Curiae Briefs
In 1998, an amicus curiae brief (“friend of the court brief”) was filed on behalf of
golfer Casey Martin, who in his lawsuit claimed he should be able to participate in
play in PGA tour events under the Americans With Disabilities Act. He won his case
7-2, in 2001. Search for who filed the brief on his behalf.
Search for the advocacy group that filed the brief?
___________________________________________________________
Read the following from the brief:
Most PGA stars and celebrities started out as ordinary people
who developed their shot-making skills to an extraordinary level. Casey Martin
has similarly developed his golf skills to an exceptional level; however, he
simply cannot walk the whole golf course. He should not be forced to the
sidelines - outside the ropes. The ADA clearly allows Casey Martin the
opportunity to compete on an equal basis with other professional golfers particularly
given that the simple accommodation of providing him a cart does
not fundamentally alter the game.
What was the argument that was made in the brief?
III.
Report Cards
Report Cards are used by many interest groups to highlight support or lack thereof that a
candidate provides to their group.
Go to votesmart.org/index.htm
Go to “interest group ratings.”
Find three congressional representatives from the state of Oregon.
Pick the issue of Civil Liberties / Civil Rights: What percentage of support (or score) did the
NAACP give to each of the candidates that you selected in 2009-2010.
Representative
Score
Does this rating help evaluate?
1.
2.
3.
IV.
Mass Media
It is no surprise that in the age of electronic media, that interest groups utilize as many avenues
available to them to get their word out.
Go to http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer (Sierra Club’s site)
1. How many members does Sierra club currently have?
2. What types of “material benefits” does Sierra club offer?
3. Identify at least three ways that Sierra Club gets its message out? For each example of
medium that is used, identify a topic that is addressed through that source of media?
Source of Media
Topic
1.
2.
3.
Mass Media #2: Twitter
Go to the twitter page of the NRA (National Rifle Association)
1. Identify at least 3 topics/articles that are posted on the NRA’s twitter feed
a.
b.
c.