Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
Interest groups play an important role in a democracy. Joining an interest group is another form of political participation and an alternate channel to influence government. An interest group is an organization of individuals sharing common goals that attempts to influence governmental decisions. James Madison, writing in Federalist
No. 10 , discussed how factions (interest groups) would play a significant role in
American politics. Interest groups and their actions are protected by the right of assembly and the right to petition government for a redress of grievances, both mentioned in the First Amendment.
Interest groups can be divided into three major categories. Membership groups are private groups, such as the National Rifle Association or the Sierra Club, that have individual citizens as members. Nonmembership organizations, such as El Chico
Corporation or H. Ross Perot, represent individual businesses, corporations, law firms, and freelance lobbies . As such, they lack broad- based support. Government organizations, such as the Texas Municipal League and the Texas School Board Association, are a third type, representing federal, state, and local governmental agencies. Members in these groups include both elected officials and governmental employees.
Because interest groups are protected by the First Amendment , they cannot be outlawed. However, their activities--particularly lobbying and making financial contributions--can be regulated. The 1973 Lobby Regulation Act , amended in 1983, is much more effective than two earlier attempts at regulating interest groups, one in
1907 and the other in 1957. In spite of its more stringent provisions, the total number of persons lobbying is much higher than the fifteen hundred groups and persons who annually register.
Interest group techniques can be categorized into three major types. The first is lobbying, a frequently used term that covers a variety of activities: meeting or communicating with government officials, testifying before a committee or governmental agency, presenting written materials to legislators, conducting a letter-writing campaign to influence votes on a bill, and entertaining government officials. Typically, face-to-face contact and verbal or written persuasion is involved. Electioneering, a second tactic commonly utilized by interest groups, involves attempts to elect sympathetic candidates to government. This could include monetary contributions, providing volunteer workers and endorsements to sympathetic candidates, running television and newspaper ads, organizing voter registration drives, organizing rallies, and staging fund-raisers.
Grassroots lobbying, a public relations and public education effort, is a third interest group technique. This typically involves a media campaign to provide information to influence public opinion and create a favorable public image of the group.
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
The relative strength and success of an interest group is related to several factors: the quality of leadership and organizational ability, the geographic distribution of members, and the money available to the organization. Interest groups vary in strength from state to state, depending on four variables of the environment in which they operate. The diversity in a state's economy, the level of political party competition, the professionalism of the state legislature, and the degree of fragmentation of the governmental structure all influence the power of interest groups within a state. In
Texas, the historic lack of diversity in the state economy, the low level of political party competition, the low professionalism of the Texas Legislature, and the fragmented nature of Texas state government have led Thomas and Ronald Hrebenar to classify
Texas as belonging to the dominant/complimentary interest group category. Our traditionalistic/individualistic political culture contributes to this favorable environment for interest groups in Texas and makes it unlikely that any major changes will be made to limit significantly the power of interest groups within the state.
KEY TERMS electioneering : a tactic used by organizations and individuals to influence the election of candidates sympathetic to their cause.
First Amendment : the right to peaceably assemble and to petition government for a redress of grievances, both mentioned in this amendment, protect interest groups and their activities. grassroots lobbying : a tactic used by organizations and individuals to influence policymaking through public relations activities. interest group : an organization of individuals sharing common goals that tries to influence government decisions. lobbying : a term used to describe attempts by organizations or individuals to influence policymaking, often focusing on the passage or defeat of legislation and the administrative decisions of government; often includes such activities as personal meetings, entertaining, testifying before a committee, phone calls and letter-writing campaigns. political action committee (PAC) : an organization that collects and distributes money to candidates and, as such, is a more specialized interest group. lobbyist – A person who attempts to influence government. This could include a professional who is hired by an interest group, or any of us who take the time to try to influence government. Phone calls, e-mail, and try to influence government and their actions.
Lobbyists can be classified into five types
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Contract lobbyists --hired to represent a client, constitute 15 to 25 percent of all lobbyists
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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In-house lobbyists --employees of businesses or associations that lobby as part of their job and constitute about 40 to 50 percent of all lobbyists
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Governmental lobbyists --work for a governmental organization, lobby as part of their job, can include legislative liaisons, may not be required to formally register as lobbyists, and constitute about 25 to 35 percent of all lobbyists
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Citizen or volunteer lobbyists --unpaid lobbyists representing citizen groups, are often volunteers and constitute about 10 to 20 percent of all lobbyists
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Private individuals (hobbyists)--individuals acting on their own behalf, do not officially represent any organization, but instead have a pet project or issue, and constitute less than 5 percent of all lobbyists
Business & Industry—about 80% of lobbyists
Top 10 Business Interest Groups in Texas (by number & value of contracts) :
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Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
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Energy & Natural Resources
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Communications & Electronics
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Health
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Miscellaneous Businesses
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Local Government
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Transportation
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Lawyers
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Ideology (liberal or conservative
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Construction
Reasons for the growth of interest groups:
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Rise of bureaucracy requires interest groups to influence key points in government
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As government does more for us (becomes more active), more of us than ever before become affected by government.
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Growing frustration with our political parties. They believe the extremes are too liberal and conservative. The newest and most effective ways of effecting the government is by joining a third party or interest group.
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Way of pooling resources and become heard.
Techniques Used by Interest Groups & Lobbyists To Influence Government:
1. Electioneering -- most effective and expensive method.
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Trying to get candidates sympathetic to your cause elected to office . Best way to do this is through campaign contributions.
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At the federal level, the most an individual can contribute to a campaign
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$1,000
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If you are a political action committee your limit is $5,000 in any one candidate in any one election.
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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Each labor union or interest group is limited to one PAC each.
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Endorsement --Stand behind and give a stamp of approval to certain candidates. Sway voters for the cause you stand for.
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Volunteers --Provide volunteer workers.
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People who answer telephones, fill envelopes, and hang posters. Vast majority of campaign workers is volunteers.
2. Lobbying
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Face to face contact or verbal or written persuasion .
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Most effective Lobbyists are former members of government, but are also very, very expensive. Posses a wealth of connections, expertise, and technical know how.
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E-mail, Letters, Faxes, Phone calls, and Personal appearances.
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Providing Research and information. To bring about change by proving your cause with facts provided by personal or personally funded research. Statistics, facts, and research.
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Wining and Dining 90% of budget spent on it because of effectiveness.
Entertaining and
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Providing free gifts.
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List of favorite women of government officials. Escorts.
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Letter writing campaign.
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Lobbying tactics have changed in recent years from the old practice of providing
"booze, bribes, and broads" to the more subtle (and ethical) methods listed above, which focus on providing information and public relations
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Entertainment is still an important part of the process, however
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Effective lobbying requires a lot of money and those organizations with greater financial resources can hire top flight, professional lobbyists (often former legislators or government officials), distribute slick literature, and have wellstaffed and equipped offices
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In contrast, organizations lacking money must rely on unpaid, volunteer lobbyists and an office operating on a shoe-string budget
3. Persuasion-public opinion
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An attempt to mold, shape, and influence public opinion on an issue through a media campaign- Expensive.
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This includes: Ads on television, radio, newspapers, magazines; billboards, films, speakers
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Write letters to the Editor & get them published in local newspaper— inexpensive—goal is to influence members of the community who read the letters to the editor
4. Influence appointment of sympathetic government officials
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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An attempt to get the “right person” appointed to a governmental position— someone who shares your political views
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This requires connections for personal visits or to get your call through or to get your letter read.
5. Litigation
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This is going to court and filing a lawsuit .
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Must have a legal issue—examples include:
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Gun control
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Abortion
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Immigration
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Discrimination
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Is comparatively less expensive than electioneering & lobbying
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Is time consuming—with appeals, the process can take years
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The judicial branch is the most objective & nonpolitical of the 3 branches— judges are there to do what is constitutionally and legally correct, and are
NOT there to do what is politically popular. Thus, if you feel the law and/or the Constitution is on your side, this is the route to go
6. Direct Action
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This is non-violent or peaceful protest ( civil disobedience ) and includes:
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Marches, demonstrations, sit-ins
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Picketing
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Boycott
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Two advantages:
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This is fairly cheap & inexpensive
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This often brings in the media—thus, free publicity to your cause
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Disadvantage:
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If violence results then your group takes the blame for the action even if they did not initiate it.
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Americans typically view groups and individuals who engage in civil disobedience as “troublemakers,” “radicals,” and “Un-American” & often there is a public backlash as even people who initially supported your group or agreed with your stand on that issue turn against you
7. Illegalities
This would be anything that violates the law , including:
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Bribery
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Blackmail
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Extortion
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arson
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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terrorism
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violence
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murder
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assault
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This is often used by radical groups. It is also used by frustrated groups who were committed to democracy and peaceful change and feel that as a last resort—since everything else failed—they are justified in resorting to illegalities.
Example in early America history: the Boston Tea Party.
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If caught engaging in this, there is a personal cost—arrest, indictment, conviction, a fine or jail/prison sentence. Also, this often turns public opinion against you.
The ultimate risk is death.
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Business and Trade Lobbyists are them most successful and powerful. 80% of all registered lobbyists are representing them.
How to evaluate whether your state has strong or weak interest groups: you look at the “environmental factors” in which interest groups operate.
affecting interest group strength:
1. Diversity of State Economic Environment
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In states that have a diverse state economy with many competing economic activities will not be dominated by any one interest because of the competition between those economic interests
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States dominated by one major economic activity will often be heavily influenced by that economic activity
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Texas: The oil & gas industry has dominated our state for the last 50+ years because they contributed more jobs and paid more taxes than any other industry.
That often meant that they could get any favorable policy or decision they wanted
(fewer regulations on oil & gas and thus, weaker protection of the environment) even if that was NOT in the best interests of most Texans. Often, if someone found themselves on the opposite of an issue from the oil & gas industry, it was difficult to be heard and almost impossible to win.
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The continuing importance of oil and gas to the Texas economy means that oil and gas lobbyists in Texas are still a force to be reckoned with
2. Resources Available To the Legislature – the 3 S’s
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Salary – pay – Lower the better more effected by bribery or influence.
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Session – length – Shorter the better. No time for research.
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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Staff – Small poorly paid staff better – Less professional and influenced by lobbyists.
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Texas: Pay is $7,200/year plus $125/day during legislative session; Session is biennial, 140 days maximum; Staff is underpaid and not large enough. The short sessions and small staffs make Texas legislators more dependent on interest groups and lobbyists for research, information, and the drafting of legislation
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Texas ranked low (38th out of 50) in a ranking of the professionalism of the
50 state legislatures
3. Resources Available to the governor
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Weak or Strong Governor – Easier to lobby a weak figurehead who has less control over the executive branch & influence executive branch & bureaucratic decisions
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Texas: When comparing the Texas governor with the other 49 state governors in a 1970s study, the Texas governor was ranked 50 th
—dead last! A more recent study ranked him 45 th
. Why? The governor has limited appointment powers
(because of the plural executive), almost no removal powers, almost no directive power (to issue executive orders), and very limited budgetary and clemency powers. Result: the governor is a figurehead who has little control or leverage over the executive branch.
4. Level of political Participation
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Voter turnout – The lower the turnout the more easily interest groups are able to influence election outcomes. Why? Because their members, often political activists, are among the few that DO bother to vote and they are a significant portion of those voting. The higher the turnout, the less clout political activists have because they are a smaller percent of those voting.
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Texas: In the 1970s and 1980s, Texas was tied with Florida at 50 th
—the lowest average voter turnout in the na tion—at 19%! A more recent study (based on elections from
1990-2002) shows a slight improvement—Texas ranks 46 of eligible voters that are registered & 47 th th
in the percentage
in the percentage of eligible voters that actually go to the polls and vote. Low voter turnout in Texas and our traditionalistic/individualistic political culture reinforce interest group domination
5. Level of political party competition
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One-party or 2 - party state – Interest groups have more influence in a one -party state than in a two-party state because in a one -party state, all they have to do is lobby and contribute money to one party and one set of candidates. In a twoparty state, to cover all bases, interest groups must lobby both parties and often make campaign contributions to both parties.
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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In a strong, two-party state, where either party can win races, interest groups must lobby and contribute money to both parties and sets of candidates, thus spreading interest group resources thinner
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This makes it tougher for interest groups to dominate the state
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In strong two-party states candidates often believe they owe their election more to their party and thus, are less influenced by interest groups
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Texas: Until the 1980s, Texas was a strong one -party Democratic state. This allowed interest groups to ignore the Republican Party and its candidates and simply concentrate on influencing the Democrats. As Texas became a two -party state in the 1980s, this has changed and today interest groups must contribute money to and lobby both parties and both sets of candidates.
6. Legal framework (Constitution and Laws) Length
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The longer the state constitution, the better because it puts more restrictions on the government and interest groups. Government is thus less able to regulate interest groups and their clients.
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Texas: At 93,000+ words long, Texas has the second longest state constitution in the nation. The many restrictions on the governor and the part-time legislature make it less likely that state government will regulate business, ind ustry, and interest group activities.
7. institutional framework (Bureaucratic Structure)
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Strong executive structure —the governor has the power to hire and fire department heads, issue executive orders, and, through a rigid chain of command, have influence over the bureaucracy
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Weak executive structure —the weak governor has very limited appointive, removal, and directive powers. The bureaucracy in not organized into a neat hierarchical structure, but instead organized with a lot of agencies created outside the major departments, isolated, and thus making them more vulnerable to lobbyist and interest group influence.
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State governments with power centralized under a strong governor who hasappointive and removal powers over most department heads will force interest groups to lobby the governor directly and the agencies indirectly
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Lobbying the governor directly and the agencies indirectly is a lot more challenging than being able to gain access to and influence individual state agencies directly
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Texas: Texas has the weak executive structure, headed by a figurehead governor and NOT organized into a neat, hierarchical structure. Texas state government is very fragmented, making it easier for interest groups to gain access to and influence individual agencies and the decisions made. The Texas governor has very few formal powers and ranks 50th out of 50 when comparing state governors in terms of their formal powers. Further weakening the Texas governor is the elected plural executive , which lessens the governor's control
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes and influence over the executive branch. In Texas, the fragmented nature of the state government, the many independent boards and commissions, and the separately elected state agency heads all increase the strength of interest groups and their influence on state government. For all of the reasons cited above,
Texas is classified as one of twenty one states in the dominant/complementary interest group category
Discuss the advantages and Disadvantages of Interest groups.
Advantages of interest groups
1. Represent Ignored Groups – Blacks: NAACP.
2. Educate Public – On issues
3. Publicize ignored problems in society.
4. An alternate channel of influence
5. Provide info to government-
6. Recruit Candidates in 1 party States
7. Oversight Function (Term 1R) Keeping tabs on government.
8. Keep a check on government
Disadvantages of interest groups
1. Corruption – too many gifts and perks.
2. Increase influence of the wealthy.
3. Put their own interests before the Nation’s
4. Most Americans don’t belong to an interest group 2/3.
5. Information is one sided.
6. Many of them are run Undemocratically.
Lobby Regulation In Texas
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1957 Lobby Control Act o Applied ONLY to lobbying the legislative branch, and ONLY during the legislative session!
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1973 Lobby Regulation Act: o Anyone must register with the Texas Ethics Commission who:
§ lobbies the legislative and executive branches
§ lobbies as regular part of their job
§ spends $200 in a calendar quarter (3 months) to influence government o Must specify for whom he/she is lobbying
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Texas Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes o Must provide info about these clients and employers o Must specify the policy areas/issues of concern o Major weakness:
§ 1. no enforcement agency—it’s up to Travis county district attorney
& Texas Attorney General, both of whom have many other responsibilities
§ 2. exempts individuals from private sector who do no directly spend any money and are not paid for their services
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Restrictions on Electioneering
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In Texas, a corporation or union PAC can only be formed to support or oppose a ballot issue and cannot be created to support or oppose a candidate for office
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However, employees and members of corporations and unions may form a
PAC and make individual contributions
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PACs must register with the State Ethics Commission , designate a treasurer, file periodic reports, and give names of persons donating more than
$50
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PACs are prohibited from making a contribution to legislators during the period beginning thirty days before the start of a regular session and ending thirty days after the regular 140-day session
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In Texas, except for judicial campaigns, there is no limit in state law as to how much a PAC or an individual may contribute to a candidate
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Interest groups often contribute money to both Republican and Democratic candidates, hoping to have access and influence regardless of who wins the election
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Federal Government 2306—Unit 5 lecture notes
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