Aim: How do interest groups
influence U. S. government and
politics?
• What is an interest group?
• Why do we have so many interest
groups in the United States?
• What do you know about PACs?
• What do you already know about Super
PACs?
• What is the difference between an
institutional interest group and a
membership interest group?
Aim: How do interest groups
influence U. S. government and
politics?
What has contributed to the “rise” of
interest groups in the United States?
•
•
•
•
Broad economic developments
Government policy helps
Individuals
More government involvement leads to
the formation of more interest groups
Aim: How do interest groups
influence U. S. government and
politics?
• What incentives are there for joining an
interest group?
• What is a public interest lobby?
• How do social movements give rise to
interest groups?
• Are all environmental groups the same?
• What are some feminist groups?
What’s their ideology?
Aim: How do interest groups
influence U. S. government and
politics?
• How do interest groups raise funds?
• Who gets more PAC money – incumbents or
challengers?
• How large is the typical PAC contribution?
• Corporate PACs make up ____% of all PACs.
• Labor PACs give to which party?
• Corporate PACs give to which party?
• Who gets more PAC $ - Democrats or
Republicans?
Aim: How do interest groups influence
U.S. government and politics?
INTEREST GROUPS AND BIAS???
• Upper-class bias – why?
• Yeah, but cleavages exist within
upper class – effect?
Aim: How do interest groups influence
U.S. government and politics?
What activities do interest groups
engage in?
• Information
• Money and PACs
• Litigation (lawsuits)
• Public Support
• INSIDER VS. OUTSIDER
APPROACH
Aim: How do interest groups influence
U.S. government and politics?
• How are interest groups (lobbying)
regulated?…problems?
• What is meant by the “revolving door”?
(see text)
• How do interest groups “make trouble”?
Why is this a “win,win” for interest
groups? (And, a “lose,lose” for
government officials?)
Peaceful Protests:
“Making Trouble”
Peaceful Protests:
“Making Trouble”
Peaceful Protests:
“Making Trouble”
Aim: How do interest groups influence
U.S. government and politics?
• What has happened to union
membership since 1960s?
• Ideological PACs raise more, but spend
less. Why?
Aim: How do interest groups influence
U.S. government and politics?
• How are interest groups helpful to
American politics?
• How are interest groups harmful to
American politics?
• On balance…more helpful or harmful?
• Reforms??
• Outlawing PACs?
• Public financing of campaigns?
SUMMARY
• Why are there so many interest groups
in the U.S.?
• What are the two basic types of interest
groups?
• What is the trend in regard to interest
groups since the 1960s? How does it
relate to the trend regarding the
strength of political parties?
• What is a PAC?
SUMMARY
• How have social movements impacted
the development of interest groups?
• What activities do interest groups use
to affect public policy?
• What is the difference between an
insider strategy and an outsider
strategy?
• What is meant by the “revolving door”?
• How are interest groups regulated?