Interest Groups
Political Science 101 with Glennon at University of Tennessee - Knoxville
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How many interest groups are in Washington alone?
- between 30-50 thousand
- 200,000+ in other states
What is an interest group?
Any organization that attempts to affect governmental policy. They are at all levels of gov't (fed, exec, judic)
List some interest groups...
(I listed 5 but there are more on notes on blackboard)
- Business firms ( for profit enterprises)
- Trade associations (group of buisnesses)
- Professional Associations (groups of professionals)
- Citizen Groups (organizations anyone can join)
- Labor Union (groups constituted for collective bargaining)
- Charities (organizations formed to help people in need)
What is important about membership and representation in interest groups?
Lots of groups do not even have members..
Institutions dominate representation in interest groups over political organizations..
Institutions dominate representation in interest groups over political organizations..
Which interests groups are more common?
Business groups...individual firms or trade associations make up 60% or more of interest groups
How do interest groups form and how are they financed?
They form in response to change and are financed by large donations mostly and a smaller portion of membership dues.
What are the incentives to membership?
Friendship, like-minded individuals, they give you free stuff...
What is the free rider problem?
People that benefit from interests groups that are not necessarily a part of it.
What do interest groups do?
LOBBY!..an attempt to affect gov't decisions
Recruit members
Recruit members
What are the 3 mains lobbying techniques?
- Direct Lobbying
- Indirect Lobbying
- Monetary Lobbying
What is Direct Lobbying?
Direct contact between a lobbyist and a gov't decision-maker
Involves personal meetings with legislators, their staff, and bureaucrats
Involves personal meetings with legislators, their staff, and bureaucrats
What is the most common type of interaction in Direct Lobbying?
Provision of information...
Most powerful
Most powerful
What is indirect lobbying?
Lobbying aimed at citizens rather than gov't officials...aka grassroots lobbying.
Effective b/c the people will in turn petition their gov't official
Effective b/c the people will in turn petition their gov't official
What is the most common interaction in Indirect lobbying?
Advertisements, commercials, leaflets, direct mail
What is monetary lobbying?
Giving money to gov't officials
An interest group will collect money and then give it to the candidate that will help them out...
An interest group will collect money and then give it to the candidate that will help them out...
But wait..there is spending limits on campaigns...How do Interest Groups get around these spending limits so that they can use the money for the campaign?
The Supreme Court backs interests groups and as long as it is on "behalf" of a candidate they can spend $ on a campaign
What does $$$ buy for interest groups?
votes! WRONG
It buys TIME...time to speak with legislation, present bills, etc. TIME so that they will listen to you
It buys TIME...time to speak with legislation, present bills, etc. TIME so that they will listen to you
How are interest groups different from Political Parties?
- Specialist v. Generalist
- Organization
- Financing
- Public Office
What is the difference between a Policy Specialist and Policy Generalist regarding Interest Groups?
Interest groups tend to be highly specialized in their field where as political parties have a more general idea of several topics
What is the difference in organization in IG's or PP's?
IP'S are very organized and PP'S are not...
What is the difference in Financing for IG's and PP's?
IG's have very large donors and PP's will take anyone's money...They have a broader base of donors.
What is one thing PP's do that IG's do not?
Political Parties compete for public office and Interest Groups do not.
When are interest groups influential?
- Technical Matters
- Matters to which the public and media pay no attention to
- Small things
- Non-partisan and non-ideological issues
Why are there so many negative perceptions to interest groups?
- Buying Votes (says it does not really happen b/c people won't actually "sell" their vote)
- Thought to be undemocratic (Media makes it to be more scandalous than it really is)
- The "Revolving Door"
- Previous Scandals
About this deck
About StudyBlue
STUDYBLUE makes things that make you better at school.
Things like online flashcards with photos and audio.
Things like personalized quizzes and friendly reminders about when (and what) to study next.
Think of it as a digital backpack™: access to all of your study materials online and on your phone.
STUDYBLUE exists to make studying efficient and effective for every student, for free. Join us.
“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj
Naj