What is an Interest Group It is an association of people who hold similar views or goals and try to influence public policy at every level of government Interest Groups offer Americans an important means of influencing US public policy They are formed around many issues such as public intere ID: 736896
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Slide1
Interest Groups & PACsSlide2
What is an Interest Group?
It is an association of people who hold similar views or goals and try to influence public policy at every level of government
Interest Groups offer Americans an important means of influencing U.S. public policy. They are formed around many issues, such as public interest, social issues and economics.Slide3
Who do Interest Groups Influence?Slide4
What is the difference between Interest Groups and Political Parties?Slide5
How Do They Differ From Political Parties?
Interest Groups DON’T
nominate candidates
Focus on winning electionsConcern themselves with a broad range of issuesSlide6
What do Interest Groups do?
Promote the group’s policies
Inform the public to the group’s cause
Frequently
use propaganda to achieve their goalsFile Lawsuits NAACP in Brown v
BOELobby the government
Endorse candidatesSlide7
pros and cons of Interest GroupsSlide8
Types of interest groups?
Agricultural
–
groups who grow and produce food and other cropsAmerican Farm Bureau Federation – farmers
National Potato CouncilBusiness – follow issues such as taxes, energy prices, consumer protection lawsU.S. Chamber of CommerceNational Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)Snack Food Association – type of trade association that represents parts of industries like pretzelsAmerican Wind Energy Association
Labor – protect the interests of workers (wages, safe workplace, benefits)Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Slide9
Types of interest groups?
Cause-Based
– focus on a specific problem (endangered wildlife, children’s health, strengthening the nation’s borders)
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)Center for Civic Education
Societal – educate the public about a segment of societyAmerican Muslim AllianceNational Organization for Women (NOW)AARP – represents older AmericansProfessional – set the standards for their group and protect economic interestsAmerican Medical Association (AMA)
American Bar Association (ABA) - Slide10
Other Interest Groups - Some Environmental Groups and How They Do BusinessSlide11
Major Organized Interest GroupsSlide12
Fortune Power 25 –
Most Influential
Interest Groups
in Washington
National Rifle Association of America- Gun Ownership AARP- Senior Citizens National Federation of Independent Business- Small and Independent Businesses American Israel Public Affairs Committee- Pro-Israel Policy American Association for Justice- Lawyers
AFL-CIO- Union Leadership Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America- Big Business National Beer Wholesalers Association- Alcohol National Association of Realtors- Real Estate
National Association of Manufacturers- Industrial Business
National Association of Home Builders of the United States- Home Construction
American Medical Association- Doctors
American Hospital Association- HospitalsSlide13
Fortune Power 25 (continued)
National Education Association of the United States- Education
American Farm Bureau Federation- Agriculture
Motion Picture Association of America- Movies
National Association of Broadcasters- TV and Radio Broadcasters National Right to Life Committee- Pro-Life Policy Health Insurance Association of America- Health Insurance National Restaurant Association- Restaurant
National Governors' Association- Governors Recording Industry Association of America- Musicians American Bankers Association- Banking and Lending Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America- Pharmaceuticals
International Brotherhood of Teamsters- Blue-Collar LaborSlide14
How do Interest Groups Work?
Interest groups reach out to the public for three purposesSlide15
How do Interest Groups
Achieve their Goals?Slide16
2
nd
Amendment
National Guns Special Interest GroupsNRA
Brady CampaignSlide17
Who and What are Lobbyists?
Lobbying is the process of persuading public officials to take actions favorable to a given organized interest group.
Lobbyists are usually paid employees or hired hands for an interest group.
They have access to public officials and present the concerns, agenda, and needs of the interest group. Slide18
The Influence of Lobbyists
Who are the Lobbyists?
A person or persons employed by and acting for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.
What do Lobbyists Do?
Engage in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators and the policies they enact. Lobbyists primarily provide money for campaigns.
The Iron TriangleSlide19
Regulations
1946: Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act
– lobbyists must register with the House and Senate
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
: all individuals who seek
to influence any member of Congress must disclose basic personal information about themselves, their lobbying activities, and their clients.States also regulate the activities of lobbyistsSlide20
What are PACs
(
Political Action Committees)?
Political Action Committees, commonly called "PACs," are the political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds from members, stockholders, or employees in order to contribute to favored political parties or candidatesSlide21
Political Action Committees
Federal Election Commission (
FEC
)Limits PAC ContributionsUnder federal election laws, PACs can legally contribute only $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. Slide22
Citizens United v Federal Election Commission
January 21,
2010
BACKGROUNDConservative non-profit organization
Citizens United wanted to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton and to advertise the film during television broadcasts shortly before the 2008 Democratic primary election in which Clinton was running for U.S. PresidentThis type of “electioneering communication” violated the
Bipartisan Reform Act of 2002 Bipartisan Reform Act of 2002 barred corporations and unions from using their treasury funds to finance issue advertisements (sometimes called electioneering communications), which are defined as "broadcast ads referring to clearly identified federal candidates within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary election or caucus
.“
Purpose:
Attempt
to regulate "big money" campaign contributions, the BCRA applies a variety of restrictions to "electioneering communications." Slide23
Citizens United v Federal Election Commission
January 21,
2010
RULINGUS Supreme Court voted 5-4
that freedom of speech prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by a non-profit corporations
Majority maintained that political speech is indispensable to a democracy, which is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation. Dissenting Opinion argued that corporations are not members of society and that there are compelling governmental interests to curb corporations' ability to spend money during local and national elections.Slide24
Citizens United v FEC
Background:
Citizens United v FEC
2 Perspectives on Citizens United
AGAINST The Story of Citizens United v FECObama: State of the Union Address 2010FOR
Bell Ringer: Citizens United and the 1st AmendmentSlide25
Super PACs
Super PACs came into existence in 2010 when federal court decisions found that limitations on both corporate and individual contributions is an unconstitutional violation of the 1
st
Amendment.
-- a PAC that is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, individuals and associations
-- the most important difference between a PAC and a Super PAC is in who can contribute and in how much they can give
-- candidates can accept up to 5K per election from a PAC; they cannot accept money from corporations, unions and associations
-- for Super PACs there is no limit on who contributes or how much they can contribute but they cannot work in conjunction with the candidate they are supporting
Slide26
Top Ten PACs in Contributions to Federal Candidates
2014
1. National Association of Realtors
Mixed 3.4 million
National Beer Wholesalers Ass’n Mixed 3.1 millionHoneywell International Rep. 2.7 millionOperating Engineers Union Dem. 2.6 millionNat’l Auto Dealers Association Rep. 2.5 million
Lockheed Martin Mixed 2.5 millionAmerican Bankers Association Rep. 2.5 millionCredit Union National Association Mixed 2.4 millionAT&T Rep. 2.4 millionNorthrup Grumman Rep. 2.4 millionSlide27
Professional Associations - PACs That Gave the Most to during the 2007-2008 election cycle (millions of dollars)
Total
PAC amount Democrats Republicans
Operating Engineers Union 2.03 86% 14%
International Brotherhood of 1.79 98 2
Electrical Worker
AT&T 1.78 38 62
National Association of Realtors 1.76 59 41
Machinists-Aerospace Workers 1.48 97 3
American Association for Justice 1.48 97 3
American Bankers Association 1.45 40 60
National Beer Wholesalers 1.41 52 48
Association
Laborers Union 1.38 93 7
International Association of 1.32 75 25
Fire Fighters
Source: Center for Responsive Politics based on data released by the Federal Elections
Commission, April 28, 2008Slide28
Campaign Contributions