Chapter 9
Interest
Groups
Interest Groups
 Also sometimes known as factions, pressure groups,
or special interests
 Has an organized membership and the pursuit of
certain policy goals stem from the members’ shared
interest
Interest Groups
 Must want to influence policy to be called an interest
group
 Political parties tend to address a broader range of
issues

According to OpenSecrets.org the top sectors and their total spending
on influencing policy between 1998 and 2006 are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Finance, Insurance & Real Estate $2,558,205,882
Health $2,298,865,053
Misc Business $2,257,719,539
Communications/Electronics $2,092,700,759
Energy & Natural Resources $1,670,116,451
Transportation $1,358,911,163
Other$1,252,273,819
Ideological/Single-Issue $848,747,426
Agribusiness $819,757,771
Defense$668,009,653
Labor$265,459,714
Construction$264,698,101
Lawyers & Lobbyists$188,142,079
Three Types of Interest Groups
1.
2.
3.
Economic
Citizens
Government
Economic Groups
 More economic groups exist because have more
monetary resources
 People are encouraged to joining because of
economic benefits (example: pay)
Economic Groups
 Often people do not join for political reasons but so
they may not support certain political figures
Types of Economic Groups
1.
2.
Business Groups: more than ½ of groups who
lobby; virtually all large corporations and smaller
businesses are a part (ex. Chamber of Commerce)
Labor Groups: organized labor work largely on
labor law but sometimes on trade, foreign policy,
etc (ex. AFL-CIO)
Types of Economic Groups
3.
4.
Agricultural Groups: farm organizations (example:
Association of Wheat Growers)
Professional Groups: Most professions have
lobbying groups (example: American Association of
University Professors
Citizens’ Groups
 Members drawn together by purposive incentives or
opportunities to promote a cause in which they
believe.
 Have a harder time acquiring resources than
economic groups
Citizens’ Groups
 Offer collective goods as incentives (example: clean
water)
 Potential members might not join because they get
some of the benefits even if they don’t
Types of Citizen Groups
1. Public-Interest: claim to represent
the broad interest of society as a
whole (example: Common Cause)
Types of Citizen Interest Groups
1.
Single-Issue groups: organized to influence policy
in just one area. (example: most environmental
groups like the Sierra Club)
Types of Citizen Groups
2. Ideological groups: have a broader agenda that
comes from a philosophy or moral position
(example: People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals, Christian Coalition)
Government Interest Groups
 A growing group of interest represent governments
that are both local, state and foreign
 States, cities, and other government units within the
U.S. lobby (37 governors have offices in Washington,
DC)
 Often try to include their views in the budgetary
process
Lobbying

Federal statute defines lobbying as any
communication made on behalf of a client to
members of Congress, congressional staffers, the
president, White House staff and high-level
employees of nearly 200 agencies, regarding the
formulation, modification, or adoption of
legislation.
Lobbying
 The Secretary of the US Senate and the Clerk of the
US House of Representatives oversee federal
lobbying. According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995, those offices are charged with providing
guidance on lobbying disclosure, ensuring the
timeliness and accuracy of required reports, and
making those reports available to the public.
Lobbying
 Inside lobbying refers to efforts to develop and
maintain inside contacts with policymakers.
 Outside lobbying involves bringing the public
pressure to bear on policymaking
Lobbying
 Organizations that employ lobbyists in house
must register with Congress if their lobbying
expenditures exceed $24,500 during a six-month
period. Lobbying firms must file a separate
registration – at least 45 days after first contact –
for each client whose lobbying billings exceed
$6,000 for a six-month period.
 According to a Center for Public Integrity report,
nearly 300 individuals and entities lobbied
without filing proper registration forms.
Ways Interest Groups Try to Influence
Acquiring access (set meetings, dinners, etc)
Developing relationships with congress and the
executive branch (through meetings, dinners,
phone calls, happy hours)
Ways Interest Groups Try to Influence
Providing information and legislation
(most legislation often written by
interest groups; congressional
staffers reliant on good information)
Filing lawsuits
Ways Interest Groups Try to Influence
Activating membership through
grassroots pressure (grassroots
initiatives)
Donating Campaign funds (individual
donations and Political Action
Committees or PACs)
Policies
 Policies derived from interest groups often benefit
many interests and sometimes even the collective.
 If interest groups dictate policy, problems can occur.
 Provide a voice for like-minded people, especially in a
two-party system.