AP GOV UNIT 2 STUDY GUIDE

subgovernment

A network of groups within the American political system which exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas. Also known as iron triangles, sub-governments are composed of interest group leaders interested in a particular policy, the government agency in charge of administering that policy, and the members of congressional committees and subcommittees handling that policy. Makes it easier for things to get done in the large innerworkings of government. Allows for people who are really passionate about certain policies to directly work on passing legislature to help said policy. These people come from interest groups, government committees, etc....

amicus curiae briefs

A person(s) that's not to a party or litigation but has a strong interest in the matter and is allowed by the court regarding a lawsuit or fact directly concerning the lawsuit. The significance of these briefs are to protect the interests of an individual or organizations who are absent from proceedings but who's interests are jeopardized by litigation.

Describe the difference between a potential group and an actual group

A potential group is a loose group of people who hold a certain belief or set of beliefs that coincide with one another enough to be a part of or form an interest group. An actual group differs due to the role of commitment or membership as well as the actual actions tied to advance a group's beliefs rather than simply sharing a similar conviction. In other words, a potential group thinks the same way whereas an actual group thinks the same way and is an established organization or coalition with registered members.

interest group

An Interest Group is a group of individuals or an organization that tries to influence or change public policy because of one shared interest or opinion. Interest Groups are significant because of the large affect that they can have on political issues. Through the campaigning of their cause, interest groups can become more powerful and have more influence than other political groups and organizations.

Compare and contrast the major concerns of labor and business interest groups

Both major concerns want to what they think is best for their companies and making them grow. Business groups do what will benefit the industries. They promote the interests of private companies and corporations by seeking tax cuts, regulatory changes, and other pro-business benefits. Labor groups want to increase wages and improve working conditions for both skilled and unskilled workers.

Compare and contrast collective goods and selective benefits.

Collective goods are goods that are considered public, such as road building and national defense. These goods are made to benefit the people. Selective benefits however, are benefits that are closed off to a certain group of people. For example, if someone paid extra money, selective benefits means that they would receive more benefits.

Electioneering is one of four strategies that interest groups use to try to shape policy. Explain how this tactic is used.

Electioneering is direct group involvement in the electoral process. Groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony, and get members to work for candidates, and some form political action committees (PACs). Because lobbying works best with those already on the same side, getting the right people into office is also a key strategy of interest groups. Many groups therefore get involved in electioneering- aiding candidates financially and getting group members out to support them, in order for their candidates' success to be greater.

Describe at least two items environmental groups have promoted and two items they have opposed, and why.

Environmental groups promote the control of pollution in general because of its detrimental effects on wild plants and animals and also promote the preservation and protection of wildlife from things like hazardous chemicals in trash, wildfires and human trespassing because the groups advocate a safe habitat for all wildlife. Environmental groups oppose the mishandling of oil (which can lead to oil spills) as it greatly harms sea creatures. Strip mining is another big item environmental groups oppose because it damages the landscape and ecosystem and can be occasionally very hard to restore.

Free-rider Problem

Free-riders are people who benefit from an interest group's collective good so they don't feel the need to be actively involved in the group. This free-rider problem contributes to interest groups not having enough actual support from active group members. Generally, the larger the group, the larger the free-rider problem is; however, this problem can be resolved by offering selective benefits to exclusive group members who pay their yearly dues.

Going public is one of four strategies that interest groups use to try to shape policy. Explain how this tactic is used

Going public is used in order to maintain or present a certain image to the public. Interest groups reach out to the greater public through emails or letters, or even advertisements online. This allows the interest group to mobilize the public people, instead of focusing solely on government decisions makers. This is important because interest groups need to maintain a positive public image in order to keep gaining members and/or funding for their group, as well as those votes from free riders.

Explain how interest groups affect the scope of government

Interest groups affect the scope of government by expanding it. They do this by fighting to sustain government programs which are important to them. The expansion of the scope of government also increase the number of interest groups. The more areas of government to get involved in, the more number of interest groups there are to expand the scope of government even larger.

Litigation is one of four strategies that interest groups use to try to shape policy. Explain how this tactic is used.

Litigation is the tactic of bringing a lawsuit against an individual or organization. Interest groups use litigation as a tactic to pursue the interest of their members. interest groups turn to the courts for remedy. the NAACP is an example of how an organization played a huge roll in the landmark civil rights cases of the 50's and 60's

Explain how lobbyists can both influence members of Congress but also help them.

Lobbyists can influence members of Congress by using resources like PACs to fund candidates for Congress and to influence how they vote on issues important to the interest groups funding them. Additionally, lobbyists can influence members of Congress by threatening that they will damage their future political pursuits if they do not cooperate. Lobbyists can help members of Congress by serving as important sources of information, providing expertise on specific topics. Additionally, they can help strategize for future political campaigns and convince their fellow lobbyists to get behind election campaigns. Lobbyists also serve as a source of ideas for bills and other ideas that Congress members can introduce and claim as their own, and can help strategize how to get other pieces of legislation passed in Congress.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Political action committees is a type of organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaign for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. These are important because campaigns are now very expensive and most politicians can't afford them alone, so they more funding. It's also controversial because these PACS might have an influence on how politicians make laws, and vote, the PACS making them vote in their favor so that the politicians will continue to get money.

Public Interest Lobby

Public Interest lobby's are lobbying groups that lobby for certain causes, ad public interest lobby's benefit even the people who are not in the group. Whether the public at large is actually benefitting is of course a matter of opinion, but the members of the group try to benefit the public at large and believe they are. Most goals of these groups are controversial. For this reason, they attract members.

right-to-work laws

Right-to-work laws are state-enacted legislations that eliminate the need for workers to have to join a union in order to work. For example, the right-to-work laws permit teachers to remain teachers even if they aren't part of a teachers union. Typically, these laws are found in Southern states, which have the majority of workers in non-union jobs.

Single-issue Group

Single-issue groups are groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups. An example of this is the National Rifle Association aka the NRA. These are significant because they shed light and raise awareness to causes that people feel are worth fighting for.

Lobbying is one of four strategies that interest groups use to try to shape policy. Describe the two basic types of lobbyists.

Some lobbyists are regular, paid employees of a corporation, association, or union. Others are available for hire on a temporary basis; some groups may be too small to get a full-time lobbyist, or may have a special -- but still temporary—need to get in touch with Congress via a lobbyist.

Name two important organizations involved in promoting equality and describe their major goals.

The National Association for Colored People (NAACP) strives to make sure a person of color is treated equally in comparison to a white person. Back then race was a bigger issue, and this organization has won victories regarding its injustices, like the Brown v. Board Education case in 1954. However, there are still many issues regarding the injustices of discrimination against minorities, and NAACP continues to fight against these injustices. The National Association for Women (NOW) is another important organization promoting equality, but specifically through women. In the 1920s women were not considered as an equal compared to a man. They were not offered the same jobs and it was a very sexist time. However, because of the Equal Rights Amendment, which the organization was trying to get passed and ratified form the start, NOW is satisfied and remain committed to enacting the protection of that amendment.

Explain why PAC (political action committee) money goes overwhelmingly to incumbents.

The PAC money goes overwhelmingly to incumbents because since PAC contributions are investments for the future, incumbents are likely to pay them back to the PAC.

Describe the essential arguments of the elitist view of interest groups.

The elitist view of interest group attributes the success of interest groups to their wealthy benefactors. All interest groups listed in Fortune's "Power 25" spend over a million dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions. When an interest group donates money to candidates, there is an understanding that exists between the interest group and the candidate: the candidate will support legislation that benefits the interest groups. In this way, the wealthy have bought a candidate and use him or her to satisfy self-interest, and the rich get richer. With that being said, there are numerous examples of candidates voting against big interests to appease some of their less affluent constituents.

Describe the main purpose of the Taft-Hartley Act

The main purpose of the Taft-Hartley Act was to lessen industrial disputes and to place employers in a more equal position with the unions in bargaining and labor relations procedures.

Describe the essential arguments of the pluralists' group theory of politics

The pluralist theory states that different political ideologies are able to function in harmony by means of several interest groups and political groups speaking out on their ideas and then reaching a compromise.