Interest Groups
Theory and Practice
• Interest Group: Organized group
that tries to influence public
policy
• Interest Group Theory: In a
democratic society, interest
groups interact naturally and
properly to produce public policy.
• Concurrent Majority: system in
which government policy
decisions are approved by the
dominant interest groups directly
affected.
• Numerical Majority: system in
which some interest groups, not
necessarily all groups affected
approve policy decisions
• Numerical majorities supported
by the Constitution
• John C. Calhoun (mid 19th cent)
–Originator of Concurrent majority
–Numerical: tyrannical, oppressed
minority interests
–Constitution does not effectively
protect group interests.
• Calhoun
–Relevant groups: states whose
interests incorporated individual
political concerns
–National government should not
take action w/o a concurrent
majority of the states.
–State nullification of federal law.
–Little faith in separation of powers
doctrine.
Modern Group Theory
• Public policy decisions
–A reflection of the concerns of the
major/dominant interest groups
affected in different policy spheres.
–Not necessarily a numerical
majority, not necessarily a
concurrent majority.
James Madison
Federalist #10
• Factions and Freedom
• “If the government does not allow
people to pursue their self
interest, it takes away their
political freedom” – agree or not??
–Controlling selfish interest limits
freedom???
• Best way to control factions James Madison:
–through the proliferation of groups
–no one group could get hegemony
over other groups.
• Does the “proliferation of groups”
keep a balance in the system?
• Has $$ corrupted the whole
theory? / failure to organize?
Interest Group
• Pressure, special, advocacy, PAC
• An organized body of individuals
–share some goals
–try to influence public policy
–Educate and mobilize people
–Advance certain policy goals
–benefits to its members & free riders
Formation of Interest Groups
• A need arises:
– a group of unorganized people are
adversely affected by change
• Success of group
–Leadership quality
– membership quality
• 30% of all current interest groups
formed 1960 – 1980.
•
•
•
•
1960’s - 1980’s: Rise in
Public Interest Groups
Common Cause, Public Citizen
Devoted to interests of blacks,
women, elderly, poor,
consumers, environment
Influenced by NAACP, ACLU,
Civil Rights Movement
Christian Coalition p.590
Lobbying Spending
• Open Secrets website
• http://www.opensecrets.org/lob
by/index.php
1st Amendment
• Petition government
constitutionally protected activity
–Guarantees the right to be
heard
• Special interest can not be
regulated
What Interests Represented?
• Economic interests
–Wages, tariffs, jobs, insurance
–Largest groups business,
industry
• Better financed than labor
interests
–Professional Associations; AMA
• Economic and non-economic
• Professional Associations
–AMA, ABA, AAES, AFT, IRA
–Economic and non-economic
interests
• Ethnic Associations
–NAACP, ADC, OCA, AJC
–Economic and non-economic
interests
Non-economic Groups
• Public interest groups
–work for the greater good
–Image of non-partisanship
• No expectation of eco profit
• “Unsafe At Any Speed” - Ralph
Nader
• AARP-nations largest & most
powerful
• League of Women Voters
–Work to get citizens registered
to vote
–Voter guide on issues
–Promoting democracy
• Do not receive any economic
benefit
Single Issue Group
• Narrow in focus - one issue only
• Number of these groups
increased over last 40 years
• Also constitutionally protected
• Often will go against a
candidate’s entire platform
based on the one issue
NRA, NRLC, MADD
What do Interest Groups Do?
1. Information
–Try to get their interest heard
–Important resource interest
groups can provide
• Oil price crisis - Petroleum
Institute, an interest group of
oil companies
2. Lobbying
• Late 19th century groups waited
“in the lobby” to speak with a
Congressman
–influence congressional actions
–Testify
–Help with drafting of leg.
• Provide the language needed
–Performed with all 3 branches
of government - usually
associated with Congress
–Revolving door
• Senator must wait 2 years
before being able to lobby old
job
• Rep 1 year
• Disclosure
–Right to lobby – not unrestricted
–Government responsible to see
if groups are legit
• What capacity group is acting
• Accountability
Lobbying Disclosure Act
1995
–Public access to lobby groups
–Definition of lobbyist - one
who devotes at least 20% of a
client’s or employers time to
lobbying activities
• Requires registration
– clerk of the House and
secretary of the Senate
– Report clients, issues and
the agency or house they
lobbied
– Estimate the amount they
are paid by each client
2006 The Legislative
Transparency Accountability Act
–Result of scandal involving a
lobbyist Jack Abramoff
• Tax evasion, bribing public officials
• DeLay RTX, Ney ROH
–Bars lobbyists from buying gifts
and meals for legislators
• Loophole: firms they work for were
not barred
–Lobbyists were to file more
frequent reports
–more detailed reports on their
activities
• post on a public domain
• Open Secrets.org
The New Honest Leadership and
Open Government Act of 2007
Congressional regulations on
lobbying activities :
1. Anyone who spends 20% of his
or her time influencing legislation
2. Any organization spending
$1000/quarter or more on
influencing legislation.
3. Any individual who is paid
more than $2500/quarter for
work as a lobbyist
4. Closed the revolving door –
Senators have to wait 2 years
before being able to lobby
Congress (was one)
5. Cabinet Sec also have to wait 2
years.
6. Prohibits senior staff in
Congress from lobbying their
former offices for 1 year.
7. Amended Senate and House
ethic rules regarding lobbyist
sponsored events, travel,
employment negotiations,
finances.
2009 Recovery Act: Lobbying
Rules – Ex order; Act of Con
• Restrictions extend to all persons,
not just federally registered
lobbyists
• Anyone influencing the process
• Expansion of information posted
on Internet for all American’s to
see
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/
• Watchdog group - open secrets
–Allows public access to who or
what is behind a lobby’s
agenda
Executive Branch Lobbying
• Departments set up for different
interests
–Influence policy decisions at the
beginning stages
–Pharmaceutical corps concern
with drugs from oversees
• Appeal to Fed Drug Agency FDA
–Safety issue
–Lack of control
Judiciary Branch Lobbying
• Amicus curiae: friend of the
court briefs
–Legal argument filed by someone
who is not part of the suit but has
an interest in the outcome
• Lobbying of the courts has
increased over last 30 years by
interest groups
–NAACP: had trouble getting
anything through Congress due
to Southern influence
• Court system best alternative to
pursue it’s interests using 14th
Amendment
3. Elections
• PAC’s ability to raise and spend
$ for political purposes
• Funnel $ into campaigns that
support interest group
• Endorse candidates
–Flood Congress with letters,
e-mails etc.
–Grassroots campaigns
Unconventional Means
Protests, Civil disobedience, Dem.
–Operation Rescue: surrounded
abortion clinics trying to prevent
patient from entering
–Congress - law restricting how far
away protesters must be and can
not touch
–Civil Rights Movement
Pluralism vs Elitism
• How is power and influence
distributed in a political process?
• Over last few decades, how we
evaluate interest groups as
forces in public affairs has
changed.
Pluralist Theory
• Power is broadly (& unequally)
distributed among many
organized interest groups
• Should be many diverse &
competing centers of power
–Marketplace for ideas
–Diverse among a variety of eco
& ideological groups
• Some groups tend to dominate
in one or 2 issue areas
–Should not be held by a single
elite group
–Diversity is beneficial to
society - little leadership
overlap between groups
–Autonomy enjoyed by diff.
groups within a society.
• Linkage between groups
–Popularly elected political officials
–Exercise as leaders in policy
areas
–No single power elite, many and
diverse competing power elites
Elitist Theory
• Political power held by small &
wealthy group
• Share similar values & interests
• From similar backgrounds
• Top leaders recruited from
same social group
• Belief corporate & foundations
directorates, old school ties etc.
–Link together top leaders
–Power elite: effectively dictates
goals for policy making
–Control over the societies
economic resources
• Personal and professional
position
–Success does not depend
mass support
–Do not need to represent the
interest of broader social
groups
–“movers and shakers” who
really run the country
–Determine basic direction of
public policy.
Interest Groups vs. Political Parties
•Not resp. for
administration of gov
•More homogeneous
•Smaller membership
•Common interests
•Make claims without
regard to broader
interest or effects
• Resp. for admin of
gov.
• Heterogeneous
• Large membership
• Diverse interests coalition of
interests
• Compromise - need
to make broader
claims due to
diversity