Interest Groups

The lobbying act was very limited and did not succeed in regulatin g lobbying to any great degree for several reasons

1. The S. Court restricted the application of the law to those lobbyiest who seek to influence federal legislation directly 2. required that only those who intended to influence legislation need register 3. did not cover lobbying directed at agencies in the exec branch or lobbyists who testified before congressional committees 4. public was almost totally unaware of the info in the quarterly reports, and Congress created no agency to oversee interest group activities

Alexis de Tocqueville

1835; French political observer; wrote that Americans have a tendency to form "associations" and have perfected "the art of pursuing in common the object of their common desires."

a number of lobbying scandals came to light in what year

2005

another lobbying reform effort was undertaken in Congress when?

Following the midterm elections of 2006

Single-issue interst groups

MADD, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Right to Life, and the NRA

interest groups form in response to change: examples

a political or economic change, a dramtatic shift in population or technology that affects how people live or work, or a change in social values or cultural norms

lobbying

all of the attempts by organizations or individuals to influence legislation or to influence the administrative decisions of government

interest group

an organization of people sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence government policymakers through direct and indirect methods

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946- on registering

any group or persons registering must identify their employer, salary, amount and purpose of expenses, and duration of employment

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946- on receiving money

any person or org that receives money to be used to influence legisltation before congress must register with the clerk of the House and the secretsry of the Senate

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946- on failing to satisty provistions

anyone failing to satisfy the specific provisions of this act can be fined up to $10,000 and be imprisoned for up to five years.

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995- strict definitions now apply to determine who must register as a lobbyist

anyone who either spends at least 20% of his or her time lobbying members of congress, their staffs, or exec branch officials or is paid more than $5,000 in a 6 month period for such work; any org that spends more than $20,000 in a 6 month period conducting such lobbying activity must also register. (these amounts have been raised $6,000 and $24,000 respectively)

different types of interest groups

business, labor, agricultural, consumer, senior citizen, environmental, professional, single-issue, government

issue ads and "527s"

by taking advantage of a loophole in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, 527 organizations, such as MoveOn.org and Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, played an influential role in the 2004 elections

Professional interest groups

concerned mainly with the standards of their professions, but also work to influence goverment policy. The American Medical Association and the National Education Association

interest groups differ from political parties in several ways:

do not seek to win elections or operate the government (though they often do try to influence the outcome of elections), interest groups are often policy specialists and political parties are policy generalists, usually more tightly organized than political parties

Government interest groups

efforts by state and local governments to lobby the federal government have escalated in recent years. The federal government has lobbied in individual states too.

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946- on giving reports

every registered lobbyist must give quarterly reports on his or her activities, which are to be published in the "Congressional Quarterly"

mobilizing constituents (indirect technique)

groups urge members to contact government officials to show their support for or opposition to a certain policy

shaping public opinion (indirect technique)

include television publicity, newspaper and magazine ads, mass mailings, public relations techniques, and sometimes ratings systems

providing election support (direct technique)

interest group members may join and work with political parties in order to influence party platforms and the nomination of candidates

527 organization

is a type of American tax-exempt organization named after a section of the United States tax code, 26 U.S.C. § 527 (section 527). A 527 group is created primarily to influence the nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates for public office.

labor interest groups

largest and most powerful is the AFL-CIO, a confederation of 54 national and international labor unions representing their own organizations

going to court (indirect technique)

litigation may be used to achieve desired policy goals. groups may also file amicus curiae briefs in appellate courts

direct techniques that interest groups shape policy

lobbying, and providing election support

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995- on what they must report

lobbyists must report their clients, the issues on which they lobbied, and the agency or chamber of Congress they contacted, although they do not need to disclose the names of individuals they contacted

lobbying examples

making personal contacts with key legislators; providing expertise and research results for legislators; offering "expert" testimony before congressional committees; providing legal advice to legislators; and following up on legislation

the American system of government invites the participation of interest groups by offering..?

many points of access for groups wishing to influence policy

the number of registered lobbyist did what in number after the first few years of the new legislation

nearly doubled in number

consumer interest groups

organized for the protection of consumer rights; Consumers Union

to have success in gaining members and influencing policy, an interest group must have patrons

people or organizations willing to finance the group

demonstration techniques (indirect technique)

protest marches and rallies may be organized to support or oppose issues

providing election support examples

provide campaign support and urge members to vote for candidates who support the views of the group. Groups raise funds and make campaign contributions through political action committees (PACs)

indirect techniques that interest groups use to shape policy

shaping public opinion, issue ads and "527s", mobilising constituents, going to court, demonstration techniques

environmental interest groups

some of the most powerful interest groups in DC. The Sierra Club and the National Wildlife Federation

incentives for interest groups

some people enjoy the camaraderie and sense of belonging that comes from associating with other people who share their interests and goals; some groups offer their members material incentives, such as discounts on products, subscriptions, or group insurance programs

which organizations were exempted from these provisions

tax-exempt organizations and organizations that engage in grassroots lobbying (citizen participation in government)

agricultural interest groups

the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Grange, and the National Farmers Union. Producers of various specific farm commodities have formed their own organizations.

Senior citizen interest groups

the largest is the AARP, with about 38 million members-potent political force

the pluralist theory of American democracy focuses on..?

the participation of groups in a decentralized structure of government

purposes that interest groups serve

they help bridge the gap between citizens and government, help raise public awareness and inspire action on various issues, provide public officials with specialized information that may be useful in making policy choices, serve as another check on public officials

the "revolving door" syndrome

those who leave positions with the federal government often become lobbyists or consultants for the private-interest groups they helped to regulate

Business interest groups

umbrella groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, as well as trade organizations (associations formed by members of a particular industry)

the goal of the reforms was to..?

was to force lobbyists to report bundled campaign contributions

major interest groups all have headquarters where?

washington, dc